Cape Byron Marine Park
') "Cape Byron Marine Park stingray (Image: J.Natoli/DECC)")
Highlights: Local marine habitats include a range of exposed and sheltered sandy beaches, rocky shores, rocky reefs, submerged pinnacles, small rocky islands, coral communities, riverine estuaries, coastal creeks and lakes, and a variety of sandy seabed habitats.
Marine life includes many species of dolphins, seabirds, turtles, fish, seaweeds, and invertebrates such as sponges, corals and anemones. Threatened marine species that occur in the Cape Byron Marine Park include little terns, grey nurse sharks and sea turtles. Humpback whales travel through the park on their annual migration.
Sites within the marine park that have been identified as particularly culturally significant to Indigenous people include Julian Rocks, Cocked Hat Rocks, Cape Byron and beaches around Broken Head.
View the Julian Rocks website for photographs of over 530 species along with descriptions and interesting details about the residents of the Cape Byron Marine Park including, sharks, rays, turtles, eels, starfish, corals and many more.
Denis Reik's website displays photographs of tiny marine organisms living in the shallow water of the Brunswick River - colourful nudibranchs (sea slugs), sea snails, shrimps, crabs, corals, starfish, anemones, octopus, flat worms, sea squirts and sponges are just some of the huge range of species photographed.
Activities: Cape Byron Marine Park is a multiple-use marine park which includes protected areas where fishing and collecting are prohibited, and general-use areas which support both commercial and recreational fishing. Contact the Cape Byron Marine Park Information Centre or check out the NSW Marine Park Authority's website (www.mpa.nsw.gov.au) for the Cape Byron Marine Park Zoning Plan..
Access: Cape Byron Marine Park extends from the Brunswick River to Lennox Head and from mean high water out to three nautical miles from the coast or islands. It includes the tidal waters of the Brunswick River, Belongil and Tallow creeks.
More information
These maps give you a basic overview of features and facilities. They do not provide detailed information on topography and landscape, and may not be suitable for some activities. We recommend that you buy a topographic map before you go exploring.