• Safety
  • For Business
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
  • Site map
Explore Parks AccountMy Parkstay Bookings
Home Parks and Wildlife Service Explore Parks Default

Menu

  • Home
  • Go
    • Park Finder
    • About WA's regions
  • Do
  • Stay
  • Know
    • About this website
    • When to visit
    • Safety
    • Camping
    • Park Brochures
    • Tours and events
    • Conserving our parks
    • Traditional custodians
    • Fees
    • Access to nature
    • Pets in Parks
    • Trails
    • Buy Park Passes
    • Drones in parks
    • Touring WA e-newsletter
    • Travel itineraries, brochures and maps
  • What's On
  • Connect
  • Buy
    • Park Passes
    • Landscope
    • Books
    • Maps
    • Prints
    • Gift Cards
  • Alerts

Search form

Go to whole of WA Government search
Printer Friendly and PDF
Larger Smaller
Facebook Twitter

You are here

  1. Home ›
  2. Experience Perth ›
  3. Perth Coast & Plain ›

Carnac Island Nature Reserve

Bookmark This
 

Nature Reserve

This picturesque limestone island, which is only a short boat ride from Fremantle, is a popular destination for commercial boat tours, which bring visitors to view the local sea lions.

Essential information for all parks of Experience Perth
Essential information for all parks of Perth Coast & Plain

Horizontal Tabs

Welcome
Sites & Activities
Previous Pause Next
  • Universal Access

Contact Information

Wanneroo

Sites & Activities
Phone: 
+61 (0)8 9303 7700
Send Email

Opening Information

Open every day.

Park Location

10km SW Fremantle.

Park Activities

Diving
Canoeing & kayaking
Swimming
Snorkelling

Park Facilities:

Boat Ramp

Park Information

Australian sea-lions use Carnac Island as a haul-out area during the non-breeding season. This animal is the rarest sea lion in the world, and the only one found solely in Australia.

Bachelor haven

All the sea lions found on Carnac Island are males. Breeding takes place on offshore islands about 200km  north of Perth for four to five months every 17.5 months. After the breeding season is over, the males migrate south to islands off the Perth metropolitan coast. Despite looking docile, Australian sea-lions are large, wild animals that can sometimes become aggressive if they feel threatened. Please stay well clear of them.

The tigers of Carnac

Visitors should not leave the beach and venture inland as Carnac Island has a significant population of tiger snakes, one of the world's most deadly snake species. It is one of only two islands in Western Australia where tiger snakes are found. It has been speculated that a snake showman and spruiker, ‘Rocky’ Vane, released tiger snakes on Carnac Island in about 1903, after his wife and then his partner were both bitten and died.

Seabirds galore

The island also is an important nesting habitat for seabirds such as little penguins, wedge-tailed shearwaters, pied cormorants, pied oystercatchers and Caspian, bridled and crested terns. Visitors should stay clear of any bird nesting areas to avoid disturbing birds.

Stay on the beach and don’t risk becoming the next rock fall victim.

The only access is by boat and is limited to day use only. There is a small visitor exclusion zone on the beach at Carnac Island to allow sea-lions a sanctuary area where they can escape from people if they choose. Please respect this sanctuary area, which is identified with signs.

We recognise and acknowledge Aboriginal people as the Traditional custodians of Carnac Island Nature Reserve.

Sites & Activities

Activities

Facilities

Load all sites...
Flora & Fauna

ALA Integration Page Content

The Atlas of Living Australia (Atlas) contains information on all the known species in Australia aggregated from a wide range of data providers: museums, herbaria, community groups, government departments, individuals and universities.

Sites & Activities
Visit the Atlas of Living Australia page for this area.
Reviews

Reviews

You must be signed in to add a review, simply Click here to create an account or login

No reviews posted, be the first to add a review.

Downloads & Resources

Carnac Island Nature Reserve Management Plan

Karri Forest, Tourism WA
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Parks and Wildlife Service
  • wa.gov.au
Copyright © 2017, Parks and Wildlife Service. All Rights Reserved.