Marine Life
Seals, sea lions, dolphins and whales are an important part of southern Australia’s marine ecosystems. Explore the marine mammals found across the Great Southern Reef and learn more about their ecology, distribution and conservation.
Image: Gergo Rugli
Marine Mammals
Ecology and Distribution
Marine Mammals of Southern Australia
Marine mammals occur across a wide range of habitats along the Great Southern Reef, from sheltered bays and coastal waters to the open ocean.
Some species are year-round residents, while others migrate through southern Australian waters to feed, breed or give birth. Their distribution is closely connected to productive marine food webs and the coastal and offshore habitats that support them.
Marine Mammals of the Great Southern Reef
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Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea)
Found only in Australia, the Australian sea lion occurs along the southern and western coastline and is one of the world’s rarest sea lion species. Image: Gergo Rugli
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BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (Tursiops truncatus)
Bottlenose dolphins occur in coastal and offshore waters and are highly social predators with complex behaviours and social structures. Image: Gergo Rugli
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SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE (Eubalaena australis)
Southern right whales migrate into southern Australian coastal waters during winter and spring, using sheltered bays and coastlines for breeding and calving.
Explore more Marine Life
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Cephalopods
Learn about southern Australia’s octopuses, squid and cuttlefish.
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Fish
Explore the diversity of fishes found across the Great Southern Reef.
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Invertibrates
Discover the many invertebrate groups that contribute to reef biodiversity.
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Crustaceans
Crabs, lobsters, prawns and other crustaceans play important roles in reef food webs and nutrient cycling.
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Seaweeds
More than 1,500 seaweed species occur across the Great Southern Reef, including the kelps that create its underwater forests.
