Celebrating North Harbour Aquatic Reserve

Thanks to everyone who attended the celebrations for the 40^th anniversary of North Harbour Aquatic Reserve at the Quarantine Station in Manly on December 11.

Participants enjoyed a range of exciting activities and at the same time, learnt about the aquatic reserve.

Participants could dive/snorkel and snap photos of marine life to win a rash vest, have a marine creature painted on their face, dive for marine debris, see local marine life in a touch tank, or do some Aboriginal weaving.

Declared in 1982 to conserve local marine life and habitats now and into the future, North Harbour Aquatic Reserve stretches between North Head and Dobroyd Head in the northern part of Sydney Harbour.

A variety of marine habitats are found in the aquatic reserve, including rocky shores, sandy beaches, sandy seabed, seagrasses, subtidal reefs with boulders and kelp forests and, in deeper waters up to 20 m, colourful and beautiful sponge gardens and corals.

Some of the fascinating marine animals sheltering, feeding and breeding in these habitats include velvet seastars, giant cuttlefish, splendid nudibranchs, giant jelly ascidians, spotted wobbegongs, flying gurnards, as well as protected seahorses and sea dragons.

North Harbour Aquatic Reserve also provides important habitat for the only breeding colony of little penguins on the NSW mainland.

Northern Beaches Council and the Department of Primary Industries partnered with the Q-station for this festival.

Enjoying the nature reserve

You can enjoy many activities in the aquatic reserve such as snorkelling, scuba diving, swimming, boating and line fishing. You can line fish for finfish only (fish with a backbone), subject to other NSW fishing rules and regulations. You are not permitted to catch, collect or damage invertebrate animals or marine plants whether alive or dead. No spearfishing is permitted.

For more information on NSW aquatic reserves, click here.