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67-788: The Neptune Islands consist of two groups of islands located close to the entrance to Spencer Gulf in South Australia . They are well known as a venue for great white shark tourism . The Neptune Islands consists of two groups of islands, the North Neptune Islands and the South Neptune Islands. These both sit on the southern aspect of the Australasian continental shelf separated by a distance of 9 km (5.6 mi). The North Neptune Islands which are 27.8 km (17.3 mi) south south-east from

134-591: A Mediterranean Climate ( Csb ) with mild summers and cool winters. The island gets only 45.6 clear days annually. Coastal weather observations have been obtained by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology at the South Neptune Islands since 1957. Initially, observations were made by the lighthouse keepers residing on the Island at three hourly intervals. As of 2014, observations are made via an automatic weather station (AWS). The Neptune Islands were one of

201-537: A 1996 survey of South Australia's offshore islands. None were found in 2006 and the colony is now believed to be extinct. The islands were first sighted by Europeans on Sunday 21 February 1802 from HMS Investigator whilst under the command of Matthew Flinders . The islands were named Neptune's Isles, "for they seemed to be inaccessible to men". The islands were subsequently visited by John Lort Stokes in 1840 and later in 1873-74 by Captain F. Howard, RN as part of an ongoing South Australian Government program to map

268-548: A diversity of items. Generally, Old World sparrows are small, plump, brown and grey birds with short tails and stubby, powerful beaks . The differences between sparrow species can be subtle. Members of this family range in size from the chestnut sparrow ( Passer eminibey ), at 11.4 centimetres (4.5 in) and 13.4 grams (0.47 oz), to the parrot-billed sparrow ( Passer gongonensis ), at 18 centimetres (7.1 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz). Sparrows are physically similar to other seed-eating birds, such as finches , but have

335-689: A merit basis. Access to both terrestrial and marine areas is controlled by a permit system administered by one government agency. Little is known about Aboriginal heritage associated with the Neptune Islands. While it is likely that the islands can be seen from the Eyre Peninsula coastline and that the Islands may have more accessible to aboriginal people during the recent ice age than during the present day, native title claims lodged in 1996 and 1997 respectively for southern Eyre Peninsula by

402-789: A primary habitat. The Eurasian tree and house sparrows are particularly specialised in living around humans and inhabit cities in large numbers. 17 of the 26 species recognised by the Handbook of the Birds of the World are known to nest on and feed around buildings. Grain-eating species, in particular the house and Sudan golden sparrows, can be significant agricultural pests . They can be beneficial to humans as well, especially by eating insect pests. Attempts at large-scale control have failed to affect populations significantly, or have been accompanied by major increases in insect attacks probably resulting from

469-678: A reduction of numbers, as in the Great Sparrow Campaign in 1950s China. Because of their familiarity, the house sparrow and other species of the family are frequently used to represent the common and vulgar, or the lewd. Birds usually described later as Old World sparrows are referred to in many works of ancient literature and religious texts in Europe and western Asia. These references may not always refer specifically to Old World sparrows, or even to small, seed-eating birds, but later writers who were inspired by these texts often had

536-662: 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

603-472: A vestigial dorsal outer primary wing feather and an extra bone in the tongue. This bone, the preglossale, helps stiffen the tongue when holding seeds. Other adaptations for eating seeds are specialised bills and elongated and specialised alimentary canals . The family Passeridae was introduced (as Passernia) by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. Under the classification used in

670-588: 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

737-449: 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

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804-588: Is evident in the act of the placement of a mine field approximately 25 mi (40 km) west-south west of the Neptune Islands by the German auxiliary cruiser Pinguin during November 1940. A naval depot including huts and observation towers was established on South Neptune Island along with a gun which was regularly fired. The South Neptune Island Lighthouse Complex is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register . In

871-430: 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,

938-529: 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

1005-527: The Handbook of the Birds of the World ( HBW ) main groupings of the sparrows are the true sparrows (genus Passer ), the snowfinches (typically one genus, Montifringilla ), and the rock sparrows ( Petronia and the pale rockfinch ). These groups are similar to each other, and are each fairly homogeneous, especially Passer . Some classifications also include the sparrow-weavers ( Plocepasser ) and several other African genera (otherwise classified among

1072-640: The Americas , Australia, and other parts of the world, settlers imported some species which quickly naturalised, particularly in urban and degraded areas. House sparrows, for example, are now found throughout North America, Australia (every state except Western Australia ), parts of southern and eastern Africa, and over much of the heavily populated parts of South America. The Old World sparrows are generally birds of open habitats, including grasslands , deserts , and scrubland . The snowfinches and ground-sparrows are all species of high latitudes. A few species, like

1139-531: The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in 2005 and is also listed as a threatened species in each state in its range (South Australia and Western Australia). Nevertheless the presence of these pinniped colonies supports a migratory population of great white sharks. Little penguins were present on the Neptune Islands in 1840, 1876, 1877, 1899, 1901, 1907, 1925 and 1934. In April 1877,

1206-737: The family Passeridae . They are also known as true sparrows , a name also used for a particular genus of the family, Passer . They are distinct from both the New World sparrows , in the family Passerellidae , and from a few other birds sharing their name, such as the Java sparrow of the family Estrildidae . Many species nest on buildings and the house and Eurasian tree sparrows , in particular, inhabit cities in large numbers. They are primarily seed-eaters , though they also consume small insects . Some species scavenge for food around cities and, like pigeons or gulls , will eat small quantities of

1273-572: The weavers , Ploceidae) which are morphologically similar to Passer . According to a study of molecular and skeletal evidence by Jon Fjeldså and colleagues, the cinnamon ibon of the Philippines, previously considered to be a white-eye , is a sister taxon to the sparrows as defined by the HBW . They therefore classify it as its own subfamily within Passeridae. Many early classifications of

1340-564: The 1970s, the Neptune Islands were a filming location where live-action shark sequences of the ground-breaking blockbuster Jaws were filmed. In 2012, the Neptune Islands Conservation Park was designated as a marine park. To this day, it endures a popular location for cage diving with great white sharks . Navigation aids have been located on islands within the Neptune Islands Group since

1407-1122: The Barngarla and the Nauo peoples did not include the Islands. The keepers' cottages, store, outbuildings, stone fences, stone rainwater tanks, grave sites & footings of the now-removed first lighthouse collectively known as the South Neptune Island Lighthouse Complex are protected under the Heritage Places Act 1993 (SA) and the Development Act 1993 (SA). North Neptune Island 35°23′00″S 136°06′00″E  /  35.38333°S 136.10000°E  / -35.38333; 136.10000  ( North Neptune Island ) South Neptune Island 35°33′00″S 136°12′00″E  /  35.55000°S 136.20000°E  / -35.55000; 136.20000  ( South Neptune Island ) Cave dive sites: Spencer Gulf The largest towns on

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1474-514: The Eurasian tree sparrow, inhabit open woodland . The aberrant cinnamon ibon has the most unusual habitat of the family, inhabiting the canopy of cloud forest in the Philippines. Old World sparrows are generally social birds, with many species breeding in loose colonies and most species occurring in flocks during the non-breeding season. The great sparrow is an exception, breeding in solitary pairs and remaining only in small family groups in

1541-495: The Neptune Islands for their hides and for "sport" during the 19th century. Large-scale hunting ceased in the 1920s, No baseline population data exists, but the species population and range have both decreased. The introduction of the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 prohibited the killing of Australian sea lions statewide. The Australian sea lion was listed as vulnerable under

1608-521: The Neptune Islands, have reached a very large global audience". Other tourist activities include charter fishing, marine mammal watching and cruise ship visits. The Neptune Islands Conservation Park includes all the islands in the Group and adjoining waters within 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometres; 2.3 miles) of low water mark with the exception of Lighthouse Island in the South Neptune Islands and Low Rocks. The island group with exception to those areas under

1675-682: The North Neptune Islands, Australian sea lion haul out areas located on the South Neptune Islands, and the breeding/nesting populations of Cape Barren goose , white-bellied sea eagle , osprey and peregrine falcon . The fauna conservation reserve was reconstituted as the Neptune Islands Conservation Park under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in 1972 with the extension over adjoining waters being added in 1997. The Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park consists of two separate areas -

1742-518: The Northern island group (excluding the "small satellite islet") has 35 plant species while the Southern group has 28 species on its north island while Lighthouse Island has 13 species. The latter is attributed to combination of the disturbance caused by activity associated with the formerly staffed lighthouse, airstrip , an introduced goat population that was eradicated in 1968, and burrows made by

1809-721: The Old World bunting family Emberizidae . The hedge sparrow or dunnock ( Prunella modularis ) is similarly unrelated. It is a sparrow in name only, a relict of the old practice of calling more types of small birds "sparrows". A few further bird species are also called sparrows, such as the Java sparrow , an estrildid finch. Gymnoris – 4 species Passer – 28 species Petronia – rock sparrow Onychostruthus – white-rumped snowfinch Montifringilla – 3 species Pyrgilauda – 4 species The family contains 43 species divided into eight genera: The Old World sparrows are indigenous to Europe, Africa and Asia. In

1876-418: The Old World sparrows placed them as close relatives of the weavers among the various families of small seed-eating birds, based on the similarity of their breeding behaviour, bill structure, and moult, among other characters. Some, starting with P. P. Suskin in the 1920s, placed the sparrows in the weaver family as the subfamily Passerinae, and tied them to Plocepasser . Another family sparrows were classed with

1943-582: 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 ),

2010-491: The collection of the South Australian Maritime Museum , which opened in 1986. The new lighthouse was converted to automatic operation in 1990 resulting in the departure of the lighthouse keepers and their families. Located on the largest island in the southern group, a light mounted on a 12-metre-high (39 ft) tower commenced operation in 1983. It was removed in 2002-2003. Neptune Island has

2077-419: The colony’s waters, identify shipping hazards and assess the suitability of the coastline for settlement. In the 19th century, the islands were visited by "sporting" parties who shot and killed Australian sea-lions and other wildlife. During World War II , the Neptune Islands became a strategic military site due to its lighthouse’s location at the approaches to both Spencer Gulf and Investigator Strait . This

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2144-547: The contributions of Ron Taylor and Valerie Taylor to "the conservation of sharks, sea lions and other marine species". Administratively, the Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park entity "overlays" the entirety of the Neptune Islands Conservation Park. Activities within the dual entity is restricted to "scientific research, tourism operations, competitions and organised events, commercial film-making (including sound recording and photography), installation of vessel moorings" and any activity that can be argued on

2211-686: The control of the Australian government first obtained protected area status as a fauna conservation reserve declared under the Crown Lands Act 1929-1966 on 16 March 1967 to mainly to conserve the New Zealand fur seal breeding colony on the southern island of the North Neptune Islands which is one of the largest in Australia. Other features that contributed to the declaration include the small breeding population of Australian sea lions on

2278-508: The early 20th century. The need for a lighthouse in the Neptune Islands was considered for many years during the 19th century due to the islands' relatively low elevation. In 1901, the light tower from the Port Adelaide Entrance light was relocated to South Neptune Island. That was eventually replaced by a small brick tower in 1985, and the old tower was transported to Port Adelaide on MV  Cape Don to become part of

2345-437: The estrildid finches as the separate family Estrildidae, leaving just the true sparrows in Passeridae. Despite some resemblance such as the seed-eater's bill and frequently well-marked heads, New World sparrows are members of a different family, Passerellidae , with 29 genera recognised. Several species in this family are notable singers. New World sparrows are related to Old World buntings, and until 2017, were included in

2412-473: 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

2479-420: The few passerine birds that engage in dust bathing . They will first scratch a hole in the ground with their feet, then lie in it and fling dirt or sand over their bodies with flicks of their wings. They will also bathe in water, or in dry or melting snow. Water bathing is similar to dust bathing, with the sparrow standing in shallow water and flicking water over its back with its wings, also ducking its head under

2546-633: The final scene of Shakespeare's Hamlet and the Gospel hymn " His Eye Is on the Sparrow ". Old World sparrows have been kept as pets at many times in history, even though most are not particularly colourful and their songs are unremarkable. They are also difficult to keep, as pet sparrows must be raised by hand and a considerable amount of insects are required to feed them. Nevertheless, many people succeed at hand-raising orphaned or abandoned baby sparrows. The earliest mentions of pet sparrows are from

2613-401: The following are limited to the main island in the Northern group - four-toed earless skink , bull skinks and western brown snakes . The latter are believed to prey on bush rat and bull shinks. New Zealand fur-seals and Australian sea lions are common on all islands, using the island group for breeding. Australian sea lions were already present in 1876 Australian sea lions were shot at

2680-466: 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

2747-525: 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

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2814-787: 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

2881-515: 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

2948-591: 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

3015-423: The house sparrow and other members of the family in mind. In particular, Old World sparrows were associated by the ancient Greeks with Aphrodite , the goddess of love, due to their perceived lustfulness, an association echoed by later writers such as Chaucer and Shakespeare . Jesus's use of "sparrows" as an example of divine providence in the Gospel of Matthew also inspired later references, such as that in

3082-579: The island sites from which guano was mined under licence from the South Australian Government prior to 1919. The waters around the Neptune Islands outside of the protected area (see below) are commercially fished for abalone , marine scalefish, rock lobster and sardine . Bycatch includes commercially attractive species such as giant crab and octopus . Despite their remoteness, the Neptune Islands are regarded as one of South Australia's best scuba diving sites, specifically for

3149-573: The islands and the surrounding waters. The marine park came into existence on 29 November 2012 as part of a state wide network of marine protected areas . When announcing the launch of the marine park network, Jay Weatherill , the South Australian Premier, announced the renaming of the Neptune Islands Group Marine Park to the Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park in recognition of

3216-481: The large numbers of short-tailed shearwaters . Plant species include sea celery , leek lily , flax lily , coast tussock grass , salt couch , billy button daisies, variable groundsel and an introduced Northern Hemisphere grass, rat's-tail fescue . The only mammals present are bush rats which are found on North Neptune Island. Birds of prey include white-bellied sea-eagles , peregrine falcon and swamp harrier with Australian kestrels mainly concentrated on

3283-440: The mainland at Cape Catastrophe , consist of a large island of 49 m (161 ft) height and a small islet of 29 m (95 ft) height located 300 m (980 ft) from the main island's north-east point with a combined area of 2.43 km (0.94 sq mi). The South Neptune Islands which are 38.9 km (24.2 mi) south-south-east from the mainland at Cape Catastrophe are more evenly portioned in height with

3350-675: 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

3417-487: The mutton birds monopolize the island." Another account of the visit said of the muttonbirds : "At night these birds create an indescribable din, in company with the penguins, of which also there is a large number about the various rocks of its coastline." In 1907, visitors landed in May and found a few penguins in burrows along with evidence of recent occupation. Little penguin breeding sites were noted on North Neptune Island in

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3484-458: The non-breeding season. They form large roosting aggregations in the non-breeding seasons that contain only a single species (in contrast to multi-species flocks that might gather for foraging). Sites are chosen for cover and include trees, thick bushes and reed beds. The assemblages can be quite large with up to 10,000 house sparrows counted in one roost in Egypt. The Old World sparrows are some of

3551-502: The northern island being 35 m (115 ft) high and the southern island (also known as Lighthouse Island) rising to 37 m (121 ft). The Southern group has an area of 2.02 km (0.78 sq mi). A third feature associated with the overall island group is an outcrop of rocks known as Low Rocks located about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) north-north-east of the northern group of islands. The Neptune Islands were formed between 10,800 and 12,000 years ago when sea levels rose at

3618-591: The northern island in the South group. Breeding colonies of Cape Barren geese are present on the Northern group while short-tailed shearwaters, silver gull and greater crested tern are present on the South group island. Other landbirds include white-fronted chats , masked plovers , rock parrots , welcome swallows , silvereyes and stubble quails . Sparrows , an introduced species, have established themselves on Lighthouse island. Reptiles identified during surveys include marbled geckos on both island groups while

3685-425: 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

3752-568: 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

3819-592: The south island reportedly "swarmed with mutton-birds and penguin". A Mr Boucaut collected a pair of live penguins on this occasion to provide to the Botanical Garden. In 1899, it was reported that South Neptune Island "abounded with penguin, and the sandy beach was a favourite resort of the hair seal." In 1901, a visiting party on the Governor Musgrave described the island thus: "Penguins are fairly numerous; but excepting an occasional seal or two

3886-476: The start of the Holocene . The islands are remnant igneous inselbergs which have survived the erosive process associated with sea level rise. The remnant rock is described as being "a porphyritic granite gneiss and pink granite intruded with dolerite dykes ". Remnants of the once-overlying calcarenite layers are also present on the upper platforms of the island. The soil is mainly derived from

3953-430: 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

4020-698: 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

4087-587: The viewing of Great white sharks. The Neptune Islands, particularly the North Neptune Islands, has been a shark cage diving destination since the late 1970s. Since 2002, it is the only site within Australia where this activity is legally permitted. Cage diving charters have attracted professional photographers and others whose efforts are considered by individuals such as Rodney Fox as having "significantly contributed to worldwide knowledge of shark physiology and behavior, because film, video, television and print media associated with shark viewing and research activities at

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4154-480: The water. Both activities are social, with up to a hundred birds participating at once, and is followed by preening and sometimes group singing. The house sparrow typically lays 3-6 eggs, but has been known to lay as few as 1 and as many as 8 greenish-white eggs. The incubation period is typically 10–14 days. Old World sparrows may be the most familiar of all wild birds worldwide. Many species commonly live in agricultural areas, and for several, human settlements are

4221-403: The waters within two nautical miles of the coastline of both the North Neptune Islands and the South Neptune Islands at median high water . The northern area is zoned as a habitat protection area with a smaller sanctuary area immediately adjoining the island group while the southern area is zoned for habitat protection. Both areas are also zoned as restricted areas in order to manage access to both

4288-490: The weathering of the granite with a minor contribution from the weathering of calcarenite strata. The seabed falls steeply away from the coast of both island groups. Water depths of 80 m (260 ft) are reached within a distance of 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from the Northern group and within 1.5 km to 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Southern group. While the low profile of the islands do limit what can grow due to wind exposure and salt spray, surveys have shown that

4355-535: 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

4422-481: 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. Old World sparrow Old World sparrows are a group of small passerine birds forming

4489-482: Was the finches (Fringillidae). Some authorities previously classified the related estrildid finches of the Old World tropics and Australasia as members of the Passeridae. Like sparrows, the estrildid finches are small, gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are broadly similar in structure and habits, but tend to be very colourful and vary greatly in their plumage . The 2008 Christidis and Boles taxonomic scheme lists

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