About this park
The 4,100 hectare park is on the western side of Barrow Island. A highlight is Biggada Reef. It’s one of two significant fringing reefs in the Montebello/Barrow Island reserve system. Dive, snorkel, and swim in this tropical reef of life. There’s so much to see! Camping is not permitted.
Did you know that important turtle conservation work happens here? The park is a breeding area for green turtles. From the end of July, large numbers of these threatened creatures begin to congregate in Turtle Bay. Females lay her first parchment-shelled eggs on the beach. She’ll repeat this on a fortnightly basis up to six or even eight times in a season. Turtle Bay is, sometimes, used by hawksbill and flatback turtles too.
The entire Barrow Island Marine Park is a sanctuary zone. It boasts the highest percentage of ‘no take areas’ of any marine park in Western Australia. Sanctuary zones are ‘look but don’t take’ areas. This allows for optimal nature conservation and low-impact recreation and tourism. It’s great to know that this beautiful park is provides dedicated refuge areas for fish and marine life.
Safety information
Plan when to visit. Read this safety information about swimming, surfing, fishing, snorkelling and diving. Consider travelling with a personal location beacon (PLB). In the event you need to be rescued it could save your life!
Activities
Boating
Plants, wildlife and fungi
Visit the Atlas of Living Australia for a list of species recorded in Barrow Island Marine Park.
Traditional Owners
We recognise and acknowledge Aboriginal people as the traditional owners of Barrow Island Marine Park.