 View of Seal Bay looking west with Nobby Islet in background | |
  Nobby Islet | |
| Geography | |
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| Location | Great Australian Bight |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
Nobby Islet (also known as Knobby Island and Nobby Island) is an islet located in the Great Australian Bight off the south coast of Kangaroo Island in the Australian state of South Australia approximately 50 kilometres (31 miles) south-west of Kingscote. It is currently part of the Seal Bay Conservation Park.
Nobby Islet is approximately 50 kilometres (31 miles) south-west of Kingscote and about 9.2 kilometres (5.7 miles) east of Point Ellen in Vivonne Bay and within 200 metres (660 feet) of the coast at Seal Bay. The islet is reported as being cylindrical in shape with almost vertical sides and finished with a flat top. It is 75 metres (246 feet) high and has an area of 12 hectares (30 acres). [1] [2] The islet is difficult to access due to its location in shallow water adjoining a cliffed coastline that exposed to rolling seas and the fragile condition of its vertical cliff faces. A survey carried out by the responsible government agency in 1996 used a helicopter to access the islet's summit. [1]
Nobby Islet may have been formed as recently as 6000 years ago due to the relatively shallow depth of the water surrounding it. [2] [3] As of 1996, the islet is reported as appearing to be entirely composed of a limestone known as Bridgewater Formation calcarenite. It is also observed that there was recent evidence of rockfalls due to the crumbly consistency of the calcarenite and that debris cones were present on its relatively sheltered northern side while any collapsed materials on its southern face had been washed away by wave action. The islet's summit was also reported as being 'gently terraced by resistant layers of calcrete that retain bands of sandy soil'. [1] Nobby Islet is technically a sea stack. The islet is located in waters of a depth of about 5.5 metres (18 feet) that partially conceal wave-cut platforms and that are subject to rolling seas. [2]
As of 1996, the cliff faces were relatively un-vegetated. The islet's summit was occupied by clumps of Coast tussock-grass with a fringing shrubland dominated by Coast Daisy-bush. The 25 other species were identified including Dry land Tea-tree, Coast Beard-heath, Common correa, Cotton bush, Thyme Riceflower, pointed twinleaf, Black-anther Flax Lily, Common Wallaby Grass and Downy Dodder-laurel. The only animal life observed in 1996 was an Osprey nest located on the islet's northern side, white-faced storm petrels which were nesting in shallow burrows located over the entire summit and two species of lizard - the marbled gecko and the bull skink. [1]
Nobby Islet originally obtained protected area status as a fauna reserve under the former Fauna Conservation Act 1964 and then as a fauna conservation reserve declared under the Crown Lands Act 1929-1966 on 16 March 1967. [4] [5] Since 1971, the waters surrounding the islet have been part of the Seal Bay Aquatic Reserve. [6] [7] As of 1996, it was described as being included in Seal Bay Conservation Park. [8] As of 2012, the waters surrounding its shores are part of a restricted access zone located within the boundaries of the Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park. [9]
Seal Bay Conservation Park is a protected area located on the south coast of Kangaroo Island in the Australian state of South Australia. It is the home of the third largest Australian sea lion colony in Australia.
D'Estrees Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the southern coast of Kangaroo Island about 39 kilometres south of Kingscote, the Island's principal centre.
Beatrice Islet Conservation Park is a protected area occupying the Beatrice Islets and adjoining intertidal areas in Nepean Bay on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. It is located about 4 kilometres east of the town of Kingscote.
Busby Islet Conservation Park is a protected area located on Busby Islet in Nepean Bay on the north coast of Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The conservation park is located about 2 kilometres north of the town of Kingscote and occupies an area of 17 hectares on Busby Islet. It was dedicated in 1967 for 'the conservation of wildlife habitat' replacing previous statutory protection dating back to 1909. A management philosophy for the park published in 1987 supports the need to 'ensure the conservation, in perpetuity, of the natural environment, in particular the breeding habitat for birds of the ocean and seashore'. The conservation park is reported as supporting breeding populations of Australian pelicans, black-faced and pied cormorants, pied and sooty oystercatchers, and silver and Pacific gulls, serving as a roost site for migratory waders and being a place visited by Rock parrots and little grassbirds. The conservation park was declared as a 'no entry' area in October 2014. The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category Ia protected area.
Pelican Lagoon is a seawater lagoon in the Australian state of South Australia located on the north coast of Kangaroo Island about 18.7 kilometres south east of Kingscote. It was named by Matthew Flinders on 4 April 1802 after the large population of pelicans present in its waters and adjoining shorelines. Its role as fishery hatchery had been identified by the early 20th century with the result that fishing in its waters has been restricted in varying degrees.
Smith Island is an island located in Spencer Gulf off the east coast of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia approximately 32 km (20 mi) south-east of Port Lincoln. It was named by Matthew Flinders in memory of William Smith who was one of the eight crew lost from a cutter that capsized sometime after being launched from HM Sloop Investigator to search for water on 21 February 1802. Since 2004, the island has been part of the Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area.
Lewis Island is an island located in Spencer Gulf off the east coast of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia approximately 29 km (18 mi) south-east of Port Lincoln. It was named by Matthew Flinders in memory of George Lewis who was one of the eight crew lost from a cutter that capsized sometime after being launched from HM Sloop Investigator to search for water on 21 February 1802. Since 2004, the island has been part of the Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area.
Cape Gantheaume is a headland located on the south coast of Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It was named after Vice admiral Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume (1755–1818) by the Baudin expedition to Australia during 1803. It is currently located within the protected area known as the Cape Gantheaume Wilderness Protection Area.
Pelorus Islet is an islet in the Australian state of South Australia located in Great Australian Bight off the south coast of Kangaroo Island approximately 7 kilometres east south-east of Cape Gantheaume. It was named by Captain Francis Harding, RN after HMS Pelorus.
Paisley Islet is an islet located in the Great Australian Bight immediately off the west coast of Kangaroo Island in South Australia approximately 104 kilometres west south-west of Kingscote. It is currently part of the Flinders Chase National Park.
The Casuarina Islets, also known as The Brothers, is a pair of islands located in the Great Australian Bight immediately off the south-west coast of Kangaroo Island in South Australia approximately 96 kilometres south-west of Kingscote. The pair is currently part of the Flinders Chase National Park.
Owen Island, formerly known as Rabbit Island and also known as Little Taylor Island, is an island in the Australian state of South Australia located in Spencer Gulf off the east coast of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula approximately 18.7 kilometres (11.6 mi) south-east of Port Lincoln. Since 1972, the island has been part of the Lincoln National Park.
Chinamans Hat Island is an islet located off the south coast of Yorke Peninsula in Investigator Strait in South Australia about 2.4 kilometres south-west of Stenhouse Bay and within 350 metres of the shore. As of 2014, it is located within the Innes National Park.
Seal Island is an island located in Investigator Strait off the south coast of Yorke Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia about 7 kilometres south south-west of Stenhouse Bay. Since 1972, it has been part of the Althorpe Islands Conservation Park.
Haystack Island is an island located in Investigator Strait off the south coast of Yorke Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia about 6 kilometres south-west of Stenhouse Bay. Since 1972, it has been part of the Althorpe Islands Conservation Park.
Beatrice Islets are pair of islets in the Australian state of South Australia located in Nepean Bay on the north coast of Kangaroo Island about 4 kilometres east of Kingscote. The islets and adjoining intertidal areas are notable as habitat for bird life. The islet pair has enjoyed protected area status since 1909 and since at least 1972, have been part of the Beatrice Islet Conservation Park. During either the 1960s or the 1970s, the islets were extensively damaged by an exercise to remove an infestation of South African boxthorn.
Busby Islet is an islet in the Australian state of South Australia located in Nepean Bay on the north coast of Kangaroo Island about 2 kilometres north of the municipal seat of Kingscote. The islet and adjoining areas are notable as habitat for bird life. The islet has enjoyed protected area status since 1909 and since at least 1972, have been part of the Busby Islet Conservation Park.
Topgallant Islands is an island group in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Investigator Group about 22 kilometres south west of Cape Finniss on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula. The group was discovered and named by Matthew Flinders on 13 February 1802. The island group has enjoyed protected area status since the 1960s and since 2011, it has been part of the Investigator Group Wilderness Protection Area.
Royston Island is an island in the Australian state of South Australia at the northern end of Pondalowie Bay on the south-west extremity of Yorke Peninsula about 13 kilometres north-west of the town of Stenhouse Bay. The island has enjoyed protected area status since 1967 and since 1972, it has been part of the Innes National Park.
South Island is an island located in the Australian state of South Australia at the south end of Pondalowie Bay on the south-west extremity of Yorke Peninsula about 11 kilometres north-west by west of the town of Stenhouse Bay. The island has enjoyed protected area status since 1970 and since 1977, it has been part of the Innes National Park.
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