False Bay, South Australia

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False Bay
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False Bay
Location in South Australia
Location Spencer Gulf, South Australia
Coordinates 32°59′13″S137°38′45″E / 32.98694°S 137.64583°E / -32.98694; 137.64583 Coordinates: 32°59′13″S137°38′45″E / 32.98694°S 137.64583°E / -32.98694; 137.64583 [1]
Type Bay
Basin  countries Australia

The False Bay is an 11-kilometre (6.8 mi) wide south-southeasterly facing bay in South Australia's upper Spencer Gulf region. It extends from the Whyalla steelworks at the southern end to Black Point at the eastern end. It features very wide, low gradient tidal, sand and salt flats which are up to 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) wide. Five very low energy, rarely visited beaches are accessible to the public. The two boundary beaches are accessible by vehicles from the Port Bonython Road while the central three are surrounded by salt and tidal flats and tidal creeks. False Bay's beaches are not patrolled but are rated among the state's least hazardous. [2]

South Australia State of Australia

South Australia is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres (379,725 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, and fifth largest by population. It has a total of 1.7 million people, and its population is the second most highly centralised in Australia, after Western Australia, with more than 77 percent of South Australians living in the capital, Adelaide, or its environs. Other population centres in the state are relatively small; Mount Gambier, the second largest centre, has a population of 28,684.

Spencer Gulf A large inlet in South Australia between the Eyre Peninsula and the Yorke Peninsula

The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe and Eyre Peninsula in the west to Cape Spencer and Yorke Peninsula in the east.

Whyalla Steelworks

The Whyalla Steelworks is a fully integrated steelworks and the only manufacturer of rail in Australia. Iron ore is mined in the Middleback Range to feed the steelworks, resulting in the distribution of finished steel products of over 90 different grades. It occupies a 1,000 ha site on the shore of False Bay, Spencer Gulf and is the largest employer in Whyalla, South Australia.

Location and features

False Bay is a favored spot for windsurfing and is described by local club members as a great onshore jump haven. The waves are consistently larger than those occurring in Adelaide coastal waters and the winds are often strong with winter northerlies providing prime conditions. False Bay is best sailed from the far eastern corner. [3]

Windsurfing water sport

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There is a total ban on the taking of cephalopods (cuttlefish, squid and octopus) in the waters of False Bay. The closure was created to protect the annual breeding aggregation of Sepia apama which occurs in the area and on adjacent rocky reefs at Whyalla and towards Point Lowly. [4]

<i>Sepia apama</i> species of mollusc

Sepia apama, also known as the giant cuttlefish and Australian giant cuttlefish, is the world's largest cuttlefish species, growing to 50 cm (20 in) in mantle length and over 10.5 kg (23 lb) in weight. Using cells known as chromatophores, the cuttlefish can put on spectacular displays, changing color in an instant.

Point Lowly Suburb of City of Whyalla, South Australia

Point Lowly is the tip of a small peninsula north north-east of Whyalla in the Upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. The wider peninsula is shared by a combination of defence, industrial, residential, recreational and tourism interests. Port Bonython lies immediately to the north-west and is marked for future industrial expansion, driven by anticipated growth in the State's mining industry. The icons of the peninsula are the historic Point Lowly Lighthouse and the mass breeding aggregation of Giant Australian Cuttlefish which occurs inshore each winter.

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References

  1. "False Bay (SA)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  2. Beachsafe.org.au > False Bay. Accessed 2014-04-1
  3. Brokken, E. & Hoffmann, D. South Australian Beaches: West Coast & Spencer Gulf Australian Windsurfing, Australia. Accessed 2014-04-14.
  4. PIRSA Fisheries > Fishing Closures, PIRSA, Government of South Australia. Accessed 2014-04-14.