Heritage status
UNESCO World Heritage Site Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the Ningaloo Coast and Ningaloo Reef to its
World Heritage Liston 24 June 2011. World Heritage listing is the highest global recognition of the importance of a site. The Ningaloo Coast was inscribed on the World Heritage List as one of the outstanding natural places in the world, in recognition of its natural beauty and biological diversity, including the:
- aesthetically striking coastal and terrestrial environment of the Ningaloo Reef;
- lush and colourful underwater scenery and its contrast with the arid and rugged land;
- annual aggregation of whale sharks, one of the largest in the world;
- important aggregations of other fish species and marine mammals;
- high marine diversity, including an unusual diversity of marine turtle species;
- rare and diverse subterranean creatures; and
- diversity of reptiles and vascular plants in the drylands.
Australian National Heritage Site Ningaloo Coast National Heritage Area
The Australian Government added the Ningaloo Coast and Ningaloo Reef to the Australian National Heritage List on 6 January 2010 to recognise its outstanding heritage values to the nation, in the form of extraordinary natural qualities and Indigenous significance. Places listed in the National Heritage List are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth). This legislation requires that approval be obtained before any action takes place that could have a significant impact on the national heritage values of a listed place. The dramatic land and seascapes of the Ningaloo region tells unparalleled stories across time, latitude and species, about the movement of continents, changing climates and the evolution of life over 150 million years.
