Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve: Preserving Sydney's Underwater Wilderness
A short, scenic stroll from Manly Beach is Cabbage Tree Bay, an exquisitely pretty little pocket of coastline and one of 10 aquatic reserves found along the length of Sydney’s coast. The aquatic reserve status means Cabbage Tree Bay is a strictly ‘no-take’ area. That means no fishing, and no collecting of marine life, dead or alive–empty shells included. The result of its total protection by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is a remarkably pristine underwater environment, with an abundance of marine life in its rocky reefs and kelp gardens.
Cabbage Tree Bay stretches from the southern tip of Manly Beach to gentle, west facing Shelly Beach, just under a kilometre away. In between the two beaches is a tiny patch of sand facing a shallow reef known as Fairy Bower. A walking trail, the Cabbage Tree Eco-Sculpture Walk, connects the two beaches. It’s a gentle 15-minute stroll along the ocean foreshore, signposted by 11 unique sculptures that represent the unique wildlife of the aquatic reserve.
Shelly Beach and Fairy Bower are renowned as two of Sydney’s best snorkelling and SCUBA diving spots. Donning a mask and taking a dip here is sort of like the local’s version of a visit to Manly Aquarium. In the protected confines of the bay, swimming is safe in all but the wildest of weather conditions. On an average day’s snorkelling here, you can swim among schools of bream and yellowtail, come face to face with the friendly local blue groper fish and even catch a glimpse of a harmless Port Jackson shark or a giant cuttlefish. You may even spot the beautiful but elusive weedy seadragon, camouflaged in the dense stands of seaweed.
The parkland around Shelly Beach is a favoured picnic spot, backed by untouched bushland and offering a decent array of facilities including free barbecues, picnic tables and a kiosk that sells snacks, drinks and ice cream.
Posted on Mar 28, 2011 by Fiona Davies
