page_title: Ningaloo Coast
section_title: Ningaloo Coast World Heritage site
hierarchical_section_title: Ningaloo Coast / Ningaloo Coast World Heritage site
caption_attribution_description: Whale Shark The picture was taken at Ningaloo Reef, Indian Ocean of Exmouth, Western Australia by Brocken Inaglory
context_page_description: The Ningaloo Coast is a World Heritage Site located in the north west coastal region of Western Australia. The 705,015-hectare heritage-listed area is located approximately 1,200 kilometres north of Perth, along the East Indian Ocean. The distinctive Ningaloo Reef that fringes the Ningaloo Coast is 260 kilometres long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass.
  The coast and reef draw their name from the Australian Aboriginal Wajarri language word ningaloo meaning "promontory", "deepwater", or "high land jutting into the sea". The Yamatji peoples of the Baiyungu and Yinigudura clans have inhabited the area for over 30,000 years.
context_section_description: The World Heritage status of the region was created and negotiated in 2011, and the adopted boundary included the Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth waters), Ningaloo Marine Park (State waters) and Muiron Islands Marine Management Area (including the Muiron Islands), Jurabi Coastal Park, Bundegi Coastal Park, Cape Range National Park, and the Learmonth Air Weapons Range. The site was gazetted on the Australian National Heritage List on 6 January 2010 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 (Cth).
  In 1987 the reef and surrounding waters were designated as the Ningaloo Marine Park.
caption: whale shark at the reef located off the Ningaloo Coast
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