The Ningaloo Coast is a World Heritage Site located in the northwest coastal region of Western Australia. It has long empty beaches, astonishing marine life and world-heritage listing combined with a strong cultural heritage.
The Ningaloo Reef is 260 km long and is one of the largest fringing coral reefs in the world and at some sections comes a close as 10m to shore!
Here are 10 little-known facts about Ningaloo Reef that will bump it up to the top of your wishlist!
Ningaloo Reef is a treasure for those who love scuba diving and snorkeling and exploring shipwrecks and marine life
The study of the Ningaloo Reef area has been a focus of the Department of Maritime Archaeology for a number of years. Over 1400 ships have been wrecked on the coast of Western Australia. Some of the most famous once are Vergulde Draeck, Zuytdorp James Matthews, Elizabeth Belinda, Stefano, and Eglinton early wooden-hulled merchant vessels, the Sepia and Europa iron barques and more.
It is one of the largest biological structures known and visible from space
It is one of the most expansive biological structures in the world and home to over 500 species of fish, 220 different coral and algae varieties, 600 species of crustaceans, 655 mollusc species, 75 true cave invertebrates, 69 IUCN listed threatened species, and the world’s largest migrating whale shark population
The area have been inhabited for over 30,000 years.
The Ningaloo Coast and Reef’s name come from Australian Aboriginal Wajarri language
The area have been inhabited for over 30,000 years.
The Ningaloo Coast has an estimated 10,000 Turtle Nests Each Year!
The Ningaloo Coast is recognised as one of the most important nesting places in the world for green and loggerhead turtles. Between November and March female turtles make their journey through the reef to lay their clutches of eggs on shore annually.
Ningaloo Reef is World Heritage List
It’s made the UNESCO World Heritage list for its incredible biodiversity and one of the few places in the world where you can swim with the largest fish in the ocean – whale shark.
The Ningaloo Marine Park protects the 260km Ningaloo Reef and it became the Ningaloo Marine Park in 1987
The Ningaloo Marine Park was established in 1987 and extended in 2004 to cover the entire reef. It’s World Heritage status was negotiated in 2011, with site boundaries extended to include Ningaloo Marine Park, the Muiron Islands, Jurabi Coastal Park, Bundegi Coastal Park, Cape Range National Park, and the Learmonth Air Weapons Range.
The whale sharks and whales of Ningaloo Reef are majestic, wild and rare. Australian waters are home to approximately 170 species of sharks and 120 species of Ray. The world’s largest fish is seen from March to August and can grow up to 15 meters long. They are plankton feeders and are not dangerous to humans.
Ningaloo is recorded to have had around 320 days of sunshine every year with its beautiful weather conditions
The water temperature at Ningaloo Reef is a balmy 22°C – 26 °C all year around
The water temperature of the sea along the coast of the Ningaloo Reef is excellent all year round and varies between 26 ° C in the summer months and 22 ° C during the winter months.
Ningaloo Reef is the world’s largest fringing reef
Ningaloo is home to the world’s largest fringing reef and can be reached by just a short swim in many places.
Owning a hybrid or electric car may not be affordable for everyone right now, there are plenty of ways to reduce your vehicle’s carbon wheel print, regardless of its age and model type.
Fortunately, even if you can’t get a new, more efficient vehicle, there are a handful of things you can do to make whatever vehicle you do have more environmentally friendly.
A recent experiment by Chevrolet used two identical compact cars on the same routine every day, but the vehicles were driven by different people with very different driving habits. The results of this experiment show that a few small changes in our driving habits could make the car more eco-friendly and saving on gas each month.
Simple Ways to Make Your Vehicle More Eco-Friendly
It’s not that difficult or time-consuming to make some main changes to your vehicle that will make it more eco-friendly. Here are seven simple ways to make your ride more eco-friendly.
1. Check Your Tires
Making sure your tires are using the correct tire pressure is one of the easiest ways to make your vehicle more eco-friendly. And it also improves the traction and driving experience. If your tires’ pressure is not well maintained, your engine will use more gas to keep them moving.
The best way to find what the normal tire pressure should be is to check the inside of your driver’s door for a sticker that lists the suggested pressure range for your tires. Also, a great investment is to buy a tire pressure gauge to regularly check all four tires.
2. Remove Extra Weight
A heavy car will use more gas. If you store your golf clubs, guitar amps, ski equipment, and other heavy items in your vehicle, it will require you to spend more money on gas to keep the engine running.
Reducing the weight of your vehicle by as little as 10 percent can improve your fuel economy by 6 percent or more. With that in mind, leave what you can at home, and over time you should notice nice savings in gas expenses. The same is true for unused car accessories. As Men’s Fitness magazine notes, removing your vehicle’s roof rack will improve your fuel economy by about 5 percent.
3. Get Regular Tune-Ups
Another easy way to make your vehicle more eco-friendly is getting regular tune-ups which can result in a 4 percent boost in your gas mileage.
Maintaining your vehicle helps you save gas and it also creates less pollution and operates more efficiently.
4. Avoid Overusing the A/C
Yes, Los Angeles gets plenty warm in the middle of summer, but using the A/C in your car as sparingly as possible is great for the planet. Excess use of your car’s air conditioner puts a strain on your car’s electrical system, which makes the engine gobble up gas.
Have a mechanic check the A/C system to be sure the refrigerant is at the right level; that way, when you do use it, it will work as efficiently as possible. Then see if you can skip the A/C on days when it’s warm — but not too hot — and open the windows and/or sunroof instead to get some cooler air.
5. Accelerate Smoothly
As soon as the streetlight turns green, resist the urge to put force on the pedal as rapidly accelerating uses up a lot of gas. The same is if you have to slam on your brakes right before the next intersection. By accelerating smoothly, you can increase the mileage of your vehicle by 20%, making your car more eco-friendly.
Additionally, when you’re driving for long distances, use your cruise control function, as this will keep your car at a gas-friendly speed and prevent a lot of back and forth acceleration and deceleration.
6. Drive with your Windows Up
Many people think that fresh air is better than driving with the A/C on. The truth is that keeping your windows down adds more wind resistance pushing your car in the opposite direction you’re trying to go. This causes to burn more fuel. If you drive with your windows up, you’ll save more fuel in the long run.
7. Use the Car Wash
At first look, it may seem like a greener option if you wash your car in your driveway, but the reality is completely different. Doing that actually is environmentally unfriendly and causes more harm than good. The water that runs off your car is usually loaded with gasoline, oil and exhaust residue goes straight into rivers and wetlands, where it damages the ecosystem.
When commercial car washes are required by law to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, where it gets treated before being sent back into our waterways. Additionally, commercial car washes employ both computer-controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles to minimize water usage.
Uruguay is a South American country known for its verdant interior and beach-lined coast. The capital, Montevideo, revolves around Plaza Independencia, once home to a Spanish citadel. The name Uruguay means a river of colorful birds. It is a word in Guarani that was spoken by the natives of the area.
15 Must-Visit Attractions in Uruguay
Uruguay is one of the most eco-friendly countries in South America and it is pretty liberal as marijuana and gay marriage are legal, and it is also.
Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. It is a city with a long history and a rich culture, founded in 1724.
With WiFi available in public places and e-scooters filling the city, Montevideo is leading Latin America’s digital revolution.
The exchange of culture and traditions has always nourished Montevideo’s literary movements. The capital is home town of many renowned writers, including Mario Benedetti and Juan Carlos Onetti.
The oldest part of Montevideo, La Ciudad Viejais is mostly cobblestoned with many historical buildings showing the colonial history of Montevideo city such as the cathedral, main plaza and several museums.
San Gregorio de Polanco is a small city in the Tacuarembó Department of northern-central Uruguay. It is one of the best tourist attractions in Uruguay because of its pure healthy air, abundant flora, and blue aqua.
This small town has only 3,000 residents, but there are plenty of things to do including a visit to the native visual arts museum, the excellently adorned OSE water tank, and the regional parish with the art gallery inside.
Salto is an affordable and it offers enough attractions make life interesting. It is the second largest city in Uruguay with a population over 110,000.
Some of the attractions include the Salto Grande hydroelectric Dam shared by Argentina and Uruguay and the AcuaMania Waterpark.
The city owes its name to the Spanish word used to refer to the many falls of water created by the Uruguay River in that area.
Nueva Helvecia is 120 kilometres west of Montevideo, the capital and largest city of Uruguay and just a few miles from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Nueva Helvecia was the first tourist area in the country. The city has plenty to offer to visitors with its history, culture, local cuisine and natural surroundings full of beauty.
The region is famous for its dairy production. Travelers can visit an artisan cheese factory and learn about the production of different cheeses.
Some of the tourist attractions include the Plaza de los Fundadores, the city gate, Regional Archive Museum, the José Pedro Varela Municipal Park, the OSE tank, with its unusual architecture and the Schöenstatt Shrine.
Piriápolis is located in the Department of Maldonado, only one hour away by car from the City of Montevideo. This historic town is about 40 km west of Punta del Este. Piriápolis was the first beach resort in Uruguay and one of the most popular.
The weather from November to April is pleasantly warm and dry, perfect for plenty of beach time. June to September is cooler and wetter. The active season is between December and March.
There is also a natural reserve of native and rare South America fauna.
Rocha has some of the very best beaches in Uruguay and visitors can enjoy them almost ten months of the year. This is a place with wild isolated beaches and surprising nature is yet to be fully discovered.
In recent years many visitors have discovered the great personality of this fishing village on a rocky point where the sea has sculpted to create almost perfect round shapes and strange stone seas.
The beaches are spectacular; Brava is the southwest, with waves that cut special blue-green. It is ideal for children Mansa Beach, a quiet and huge wind sheltered bay.
Tacuarembó town is fairly small and easily walkable. However, a good number of attractions lie out of town and you’ll need your own transport to reach them. It is located in the heart of the country about 200miles away from the capital.
Fiesta de la Patria Gaucha is a big event during the second weekend of March. It celebrates countryside life and customs. Accommodation is a big issue at the festival.
Some 150 sculptures and murals outdoors exhibits can be enjoyed in public and private spaces in various parts of the Tacuarembó department.
The economy of Durazno largely depends on agriculture and agrotourism. The raising of sheep, and of cattle.
The Yí and Negro Rivers and large streams and in the lakes Rincón del Bonete and Baygorria.
Attractions in Durazno include important events such as the Folklore Festival and the ‘Meeting of the Gauchos’, places like the Hispanidad Park, located a few kilometers from the city, the church of San Pedro Parish, Regional Art Museum, Casa del General Museum.
Carmelo is famous with its winemaking. Winemaking was brought to the region over a hundred years ago by European immigrants. It is one of Uruguay’s largest wine-producing area.
The very alkaline soil with fossils creates a perfect microclimate for vines.
Points of interest in this area are Punta Gorda, Zagarzazú and Colonia Estrella. Close to Colonia Estrella is the Zagarzazú beach.
Nearby places are the picturesque Colonia, historic Fray Bentos, and the spa towns of Paysandú and Salto.
Carmelo is an ideal destination for those looking for a place to relax and for wine lovers tourism due to the large variety of vineyards and wineries.
Cabo Polonio is a rocky point that stands 15 meters above the ocean, with two inhabited islands across one of the largest reserves of sea lions in the world.
There is no water or electricity in Cabo Polonio. This place is attracting many bohemians and backpackers.
You can just lay on the beach and forget about all the luxuriate.
Punta del Este is a city and resort on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay.
Some popular attractions in the area include the La Mano giant sculpture, the Santorini-styled complex Casapueblo, the Enjoy Punta del Este hotel and casino complex, La Barra neighborhood, the iconic Puente Garzón, Gorriti Island, Arboretum Lussich, and the Museum of the Sea. Here is also the Ralli Museum, featuring exquisite pieces of modern and contemporary Latin American art.
Paysandú is one of Uruguay’s most important cities. It is located in the northern part of Uruguay. Due to the historical events in this area, Paysandú is important tourist attraction. Just a few miles away you’l find the Guaviyú and Almirón hot spring resorts.
Some of the attractions of this beautiful historical city include the Historical Museum or the Perpetuity Monument where you can learn a part of the rich and booming history of the city.
Paysandú has many events, including Beer Week – one of the most important events celebrated in Uruguay, which attract many tourists from all over the world.
It is the last coastal resort of Uruguay and it is bordering with Brazil to the southeast. What is interesting is that the main street in Chuy is the actual border between Uruguay and Brazil.
The border is open, so you’re free to cross back and forth between the Brazilian city Chuí and Chuy.
Chuy’s residents are mostly Uruguayans and Brazilians, with almost all its residents speaking Spanish and Portuguese.
It has long beaches which makes it ideal for long walks on the beach. Some points of interest are the Santa Teresa Park, the San Miguel Fort.
“Chui” was also the name the Indians gave a yellow-breasted bird.
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, across the Río de La Plata from Buenos Aires. It’s known for its cobblestoned Barrio Histórico, lined with buildings from its time as a Portuguese settlement.
It has a long history and it was founded by the Portuguese in 1680 on the Río de la Plata, the city was of strategic importance in resisting the Spanish.
The historic Colonia del Sacramento is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995 and attracts thousands of visitors during the year from around the world. Travelers can enjoy a unique landscape with spectacular views of Río de la Plata.
Main photo credit: Wagner T. Cassimiro “Aranha” Wikipedia
