GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT

The Great Australian Bight is a large bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia. Much of the Bight lies due south of the expansive Nullarbor Plain, which straddles the two Australian states of South Australia and Western Australia. The Eyre Highway passes close to the cliffs of the Bight between the Head of the Bight and Eucla.

The coast line of the Great Australian Bight is characterised by cliff faces (up to 60 m high), surfing beaches and rock platforms, ideal for whale-watching. The waters of the Great Australian Bight, despite being relatively shallow, are not fertile. While most continental shelves are rich in sea life and make popular fishing areas, the barren deserts north of the bight have very little rainfall, and what there is mostly flows inland, to dissipate underground or in salt lakes. In consequence, the Great Australian Bight receives very little of the runoff that fertilises most continental shelves and is essentially a marine desert. It is probably best noted for the large number of sharks that frequent its coastal waters, as well as the increasing numbers of Southern Right Whales that migrate within the region.

I was lucky enough to capture these views of the Bight when returning home from Perth in a recent trip, when a window seat was combined with some good weather and a great view from 11,000 m high.

This post is part of the Scenic Sunday meme.