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39-715: The Joy Baluch AM Bridge is a bridge across Spencer Gulf between Port Augusta and Port Augusta West in South Australia . It carries Highway 1 and is a key road link on both east–west and north–south road routes in Australia. The western end leads to Eyre Peninsula , the Eyre Highway (to Western Australia ) and the Stuart Highway (to the Northern Territory ). The eastern end leads to

78-473: A head start to whaling in the Dutch Republic . In the late 18th and early 19th century, the owners of whalers frequently armed their vessels with cannons to enable the vessels to protect themselves against pirates, and in wartime, privateers . Weapons were also carried on vessels visiting Pacific islands for food, water, and wood in order to defend themselves from the sometimes hostile inhabitants. At

117-462: A long time and left the whale to thrash around in its death throes. These harpoons inject air into the carcass to keep the heavier rorqual whales hunted today from sinking. However, the harpoon-cannon is still criticized for its cruelty as not all whales are killed instantly; death can take from minutes to an hour. Japan is currently the only country that engages in whaling in the Antarctic, which

156-441: A pedestrian and cycling bridge, and for recreational fishing. An engineering report identified that the structure of the 90-year-old timber bridge was failing and needed significant investment to remain safe for public access, so the bridge was closed. When access to the old bridge was closed, the speed limit on the main bridge was initially reduced to 25 km/h to provide safety for the increased cyclist and pedestrian traffic. This

195-662: A subtropical species is range limited to Northern Spencer Gulf. Visiting southern right whales and humpback whales enter Spencer Gulf from June through to October, and can be seen as far north as Point Lowly and Port Augusta. New Zealand fur seals and Australian sea lions can be found in southern Spencer Gulf, with significant breeding colonies located at Dangerous Reef and in the Sir Joseph Banks Group. Occasional sightings occurring in Northern Spencer Gulf. Bottlenose dolphins can be seen in

234-588: Is 77 km (48 mi) wide at its mouth (from Cape Catastrophe to Cape Spencer) and 320 km (200 mi) long (from its mouth to Port Augusta). The western shore of the gulf is the Eyre Peninsula , while the eastern side is the Yorke Peninsula , which separates it from the smaller Gulf St Vincent . Its entrance was defined by Matthew Flinders in 1802 as a line from Cape Catastrophe on Eyre Peninsula to Cape Spencer on Yorke Peninsula. At

273-449: Is also intended to supply water for a prospective hydrogen export industry. An environmental impact statement for the project is anticipated mid-2024. As of 2016 , one reverse osmosis and one thermal seawater desalination plant draw water from Spencer Gulf. Several others are planned. All currently or will produce water primarily or exclusively for industrial use. They are: The Spencer Gulf region, its wildlife and its development are

312-430: Is located at Goose Island on the east side of Spencer Gulf near Port Victoria was d eclared in 1971 to provide 'a conservation area where teaching institutions may conduct classes and scientific research on marine biology and ecology and to protect the habitat of the seal colony situated on White Rocks.' Whyalla - Cowleds Landing Aquatic Reserve which is located on the west side of Spencer Gulf, just south of Whyalla,

351-421: Is no longer the primary commercial product of whaling. Whaling is now done for whale meat for the relatively small culinary market. (Norwegian whalers account for about 20% of whales caught and Japanese whalers for about 60%.) Harpoon cannons , fired from harpoon ships with displacement in the hundreds of tons, are now universally used for commercial whaling operations. These motorized ships are able to keep up with

390-714: Is now under the protection of the International Whaling Commission as the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary . The area formerly saw large scale commercial whaling operations by numerous countries before the moratorium. The three Japanese harpoon ships of the ICR serve a factory ship that processes the catch on board and preserves it on site in refrigerators, allowing the long endurance whaling missions. These whaling operations, which are claimed by Japan to be for research purposes, sell

429-529: Is prohibited with Sanctuary Zones, and detailed maps and GPS coordinates for the parks are available from the Government of South Australia's Department of Environment, Water & Natural Resources. The marine parks within Spencer Gulf are (from north to south): A number of terrestrial reserves either adjoin Spencer Gulf at low water or are located on islands within the gulf. On the west coast of

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468-560: The Nisshin Maru of Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) is the only whaling factory ship in operation. As compared to whaling before and during the 19th century, which was executed with handheld harpoons thrown from oar-powered whaleboats (depicted most famously in Herman Melville's Moby Dick ) , whaling since the 1900s has been quite different. Whale oil , which fossil-fuel based alternatives has supplanted,

507-594: The Augusta Highway towards Adelaide , Victoria and New South Wales . The bridge was opened in 1972. In 2012 it was named after Joy Baluch who had been mayor of Port Augusta for forty years. The current bridge replaced an earlier bridge known as the Great Western Bridge which had been built in 1927. It was rebuilt and widened in 1944. The older bridge is still visible north of the current crossing. Until 2017 it had continued to be used as

546-481: The Norwegian and later British Royal Navies requisitioned a number of whalers for use in a variety of functions such as minesweeping , search and rescue , and anti-submarine warfare . Ten Allied vessels categorized as whalers were lost in the war. Since the 1982 moratorium on commercial whaling, few countries still operate whalers, with Norway , Iceland , and Japan among those still operating them. Of those,

585-533: The catching or processing of whales . The term whaler is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japan , still dedicates a single factory ship for the industry. The vessels used by aboriginal whaling communities are much smaller and are used for various purposes over the course of the year. The whale catcher was developed during the Steam-powered vesselage , and then driven by diesel engines throughout much of

624-582: The coast near Port Bonython and Point Lowly is a breeding ground for the Northern Spencer Gulf population of Australian giant cuttlefish . They are a favorite food of local bottlenose dolphins , who have developed sophisticated techniques for safely eating these creatures. The Upper Spencer Gulf is also known for its snapper and Yellowtail kingfish fishing. Great white sharks are sometimes seen in Spencer Gulf by fishermen, and shark cage diving and surface tours operate out of Port Lincoln . A relic population of tiger pipefish ( Filicampus tigris ),

663-473: The expedition's published charts. By the 1830s, the natural harbour of Port Lincoln had become the site of an unofficial settlement, due in part to its convenience as a base for whaling vessels – which had long operated in the Great Australian Bight . Prior to the selection of Adelaide , some consideration was given to Port Lincoln as the potential site of a capital city. The Gulf

702-466: The gulf are Port Lincoln , Whyalla , Port Pirie , and Port Augusta . Smaller towns on the gulf include Tumby Bay , Port Neill , Arno Bay , Cowell , Port Germein , Port Broughton , Wallaroo , Port Hughes , Port Victoria , Port Rickaby , Point Turton , and Corny Point . The first recorded exploration of the gulf was that of Matthew Flinders in February 1802. Flinders navigated inland from

741-525: The gulf waters are sometimes used. "Northern Spencer Gulf" refers to waters north of Wallaroo and Arno Bay , while "Southern Spencer Gulf" refers to waters south of that line, extending to the mouth of the gulf. "Upper Spencer Gulf" includes the waters north of Port Pirie, and includes the three towns sometimes referred to as the Iron Triangle: Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie. Its boundary lacks precise definition. The land surrounding

780-787: The gulf's waters year-round. Breeding colonies of little penguins exist on islands in Spencer Gulf. The northernmost colonies are located at Lipson Island and Wardang Island . In 2004, the Wardang Island colony's population was approximately 8,000 penguins. Cape Barren geese and several species of cormorants also breed on islands in Spencer Gulf. Spencer Gulf contains a number of inshore and offshore islands. These include (from north to south): Due to its proximity to many identified mineral deposits in South Australia's Far North, Eyre Peninsula and Braemar regions, there are multiple new port and harbour developments proposed for

819-515: The gulf, consisting of the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas , is the Eyre Yorke Block bioregion . This was originally wooded shrubland but has now mainly been cleared for agriculture. The arid Gawler bioregion extends to the Spencer Gulf on the north-west. Many of South Australia's iconic marine species can be found on the shores and in the waters of Spencer Gulf. The rocky inshore reef along

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858-591: The gulf, from north to south, they are Munyaroo Conservation Park , Franklin Harbor Conservation Park , Lipson Island Conservation Park , Tumby Island Conservation Park , Sir Joseph Banks Group Conservation Park , Lincoln National Park and Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area . On the east coast of the gulf, from north to south, they are Winninowie Conservation Park , Bird Islands Conservation Park , Goose Island Conservation Park , Leven Beach Conservation Park and Innes National Park . At

897-515: The meat from these operations on the market, allowed under the current moratorium to defer research costs. They are highly controversial, and are challenged by anti-whaling parties as being merely a disguise for commercial whaling. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has clashed with the Japanese whalers in the Antarctic in confrontations that have led to international media attention and diplomatic incidents. The most famous fictional whaling ship

936-675: The mouth of the gulf, the Gambier Islands Conservation Park is located within the Gambier Islands group. Three Important Bird Areas (IBAs) have been nominated by BirdLife International at locations in Spencer Gulf. The Spencer Gulf Important Bird Area lies along the north-eastern coast of the Gulf; it comprises a 460 square kilometres (180 square miles) strip of coastal land consisting mainly of intertidal mudflats , mangroves and salt marshes . It

975-665: The opportunity arise. In July 1793 the British armed whaleship Liverpool , of 20 guns, captured the French whaleship Chardon . However, the French crew succeeded in retaking their vessel. Also that year, an armed British whaleship captured the French whaleship Hébé in Walvis Bay . During the War of 1812 , the U.S. Navy captured two British whaleships, Atlantic and Seringapatam , and used them as warships. During World War II ,

1014-699: The outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, British privateers captured several French whalers, among them Necker and Deux Amis , and Anne . Dutch privateers captured Port de Paix and Penn . At the time, many French whalers transferred to the American flag, the United States being neutral in the Anglo-French war. Some whaleships also carried letters of marque that authorized them to take enemy vessels should

1053-425: The present location of Port Augusta to within 44–39 km (27–24 mi) of the termination of the water body. The gulf was named Spencer's Gulph by Flinders on 20 March 1802, after George John Spencer , the 2nd Earl Spencer . The Baudin expedition visited the gulf after Flinders with Nicholas Baudin giving it the name Golfe Bonaparte and Louis de Freycinet using the name Golfe de la Melomanie on

1092-568: The region. These include new or expanded facilities at (from north to south): In 2022, the government of South Australia announced the Northern Water Supply Project, which as of 2023, is considering a business case for establishing a large seawater desalination plant in the upper Spencer Gulf. If constructed, water will be supplied for use to the Olympic Dam and Carapateena copper mines in the state's far north. It

1131-578: The road traffic. The contract for detailed design and construction was let in March 2020 to the Port Wakefield to Port Augusta Alliance, a consortium of CPB Contractors , Aurecon and GHD Group . This consortium is also responsible for the overpass and duplication on Port Wakefield Road near Port Wakefield . The new bridge was completed in August 2023. Spencer Gulf The largest towns on

1170-563: The ship's stern , whale catchers were able to transfer their catch to factory ships operating in the open sea. Previous to that was the whaleship of the 16th to early 20th centuries, driven first by sail and then by steam. The most famous example is the fictional Pequod in Moby-Dick , based on the whaling industry in Nantucket and New Bedford . Whaleships carried multiple whaleboats , open rowing boats used to chase and harpoon

1209-411: The sleeker and fast-swimming rorquals such as the fin whale , that would have been impossible for the muscle-powered rowboats to chase, and allow whaling to be done more safely for the crews. The use of grenade-tipped harpoons has greatly improved the effectiveness of whaling, allowing whales to be killed often instantaneously as compared to the previous method in which whales bled to death, which took

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1248-430: The subjects of a documentary film in production (as of 2020) entitled Cuttlefish Country . Spencer Gulf contains four aquatic reserves . Blanche Harbour-Douglas Bank Aquatic Reserve which is located in west side of Spencer Gulf, north of Whyalla, was declared in 1980 'for fisheries management, protection of its mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Goose Island Aquatic Reserve which

1287-698: The time of Flinders' exploration the gulf was noted to extend 298 km (185 mi) inland from a point near the Port Augusta crossing. This so-called extension of the gulf consists of a land depression and occasional watercourse known as the Pirie–Torrens corridor , and the inland waterbody Lake Torrens . The northern end of the gulf is spanned by the Joy Baluch AM Bridge between Port Augusta and Port Augusta West and further north by Yorkey Crossing . Informal names for subdivisions of

1326-408: The twentieth century. It was designed with a harpoon gun mounted at its bow and was fast enough to chase and catch rorquals such as the fin whale . At first, whale catchers either brought the whales they killed to a whaling station , a settlement ashore where the carcasses could be processed, or to its factory ship anchored in a sheltered bay or inlet. With the later development of the slipway at

1365-445: The whale. The whaleship would keep watch from the crowsnest , so it could sail to the signal and lash the dead whale alongside. Then the work of flensing (butchering) began, to separate the whale into its valuable components. The blubber was rendered into whale oil using two or three try-pots set in a brick furnace called the tryworks . Spermaceti was especially valuable, and as sperm whaling voyages were several years long,

1404-497: The whaling ships were equipped for all eventualities. There have also been vessels which combined chasing and processing, such as the bottlenose whalers of the late 19th and early 20th century, and catcher/factory ships of the modern era. The crews of whaling vessels fought small skirmishes for the control of the Spitsbergen whale fishery between 1613 and 1638. The Dutch were the first Europeans to visit Svalbard, and this gave

1443-535: Was declared in 1980 to 'protect the mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Yatala Harbour Upper Spencer Gulf Aquatic Reserve which is located in Yatala Harbour on the east side of Spencer Gulf, north of Port Pirie, was declared in 1980 for 'the protection of its mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Spencer Gulf contains five marine parks , each with its own outer boundary and internal zoning. Fishing

1482-486: Was identified as an IBA by BirdLife International because of its importance for the conservation of waders , or shorebirds. The other two IBAs within Spencer Gulf are located in the Sir Joseph Banks Group and at Goose Island . Both sites contain breeding colonies of various island seabird species. Whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling :

1521-586: Was then raised to 40 km/h which is expected to remain until the new bridge is completed. As of March 2020, The bridge is being duplicated by adding a second two-lane bridge immediately north of the original bridge. This will be funded by $ 160 million by the Federal Government and $ 40 million by the Government of South Australia and is expected to be completed in 2022. Both bridges will have two-way shared pedestrian/cycling paths separated from

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