The CentreThe Sapphire Coast Region
The dramatic meeting point for the warm East Australia Current from the north and the cold southern ocean waters of Bass Strait, the Sapphire Coast boasts an abundance and diversity of marine life that has few rivals. Stretching from Bermagui in the north to the Victorian border in the south, this region has been identified as an area of unrivalled beauty and natural assets. With a temperate climate and a pristine coastline bordered by native eucalypt forest, visitors and locals alike can enjoy secluded beaches, rainforest walks and a marine environment brimming with life amongst small rural and fishing villages.
The region is now recognised as the busiest ‘hotspot’ of whale activity in Australia, with no less than 16 species of marine mammal known to inhabit these waters. These include humpback whales, southern right whales, minke whales, beaked whales, killer whales, pilot whales, sperm whales, pygmy sperm whales, false killer whales and the occasional blue whale.
The annual southern migration of humpback whales from October to December draws avid whale-watchers from all over the globe to witness these massive creatures as they perform amazing acrobatics, often accompanied by masses of seabirds plundering on raging baitballs beneath the surface.