Nicolas Baudin Island Conservation Park is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
associated with
Nicolas Baudin Island
Nicolas Baudin Island is an island in the Australian state of South Australia about west of Cape Blanche on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula about south south-west of the town of Streaky Bay. The island is notable as a breeding site for Aust ...
which is located off
Cape Blanche on the west coast of
Eyre Peninsula
The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north.
Earlier called Eyre's Peninsula, it was named after e ...
in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
about south of
Streaky Bay
Streaky the Supercat is a fictional superhero cat that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #261 (February 1960) and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney.
He is Supergirl's pet cat who g ...
. The conservation park was proclaimed in 2003 under the ''
National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972
Protected areas of South Australia, consisting of protected areas located within South Australia and its immediate onshore waters and which are managed by South Australian Government agencies. As of 2018, South Australia contained 359 separat ...
'' to ‘protect a significant breeding location for the
Australian sea lion
The Australian sea lion (''Neophoca cinerea''), also known as the Australian sea-lion or Australian sealion, is a species of sea lion that is the only endemic pinniped in Australia. It is currently Monotypic taxon, monotypic in the genus ''Neopho ...
.’
Nicolas Baudin Island's significance is argued as follows:
[
]Recent research has confirmed that the park is of great importance as a breeding colony for a large population of Australian sea lions and is considered important in the association of sea-lions and New Zealand fur seal
''Arctocephalus forsteri'' (common names include the Australasian fur seal, South Australian fur seal, New Zealand fur seal, Antipodean fur seal, or long-nosed fur seal) is a species of fur seal found mainly around southern Australia and New Z ...
s living side by side. South of the park, Point Labatt
Point Labatt is a headland located on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula in the Australian state of
South Australia about south by east of Streaky Bay. It is notable as one of the largest Australian mainland breeding sites for Australian sea li ...
is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony of Australian sea lions, thought to interact heavily with the Nicolas Baudin Island colony.
Its extent includes the island with an area of about and adjoining seabed with a total area of .[
The conservation park including its marine zone is classified as an ]IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...
Category Ia protected area.
References
External links
Nicolas Baudin Island Conservation Park webpage on protected planet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolas Baudin Island Conservation Park
Conservation parks of South Australia
South Australian terrestrial protected areas with a marine zone
Protected areas established in 2003
2003 establishments in Australia
Eyre Peninsula
Great Australian Bight