GNARALOO STATION

Gnaraloo is a wilderness tourism business and working pastoral station on the Ningaloo Coast in North Western Australia, adjacent to the Ningaloo Marine Park and Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area. It abuts 65 km of coastline, including southern parts of the Ningaloo Reef and four Marine Sanctuary Zones. The Indian Ocean borders Gnaraloo to the west.

GNARALOO TURTLE CONSERVATION PROGRAM (GTCP)

The Gnaraloo Station Trust commenced the scientific Gnaraloo Turtle Conservation Program (GTCP) on-ground in 2008 to identify, monitor and protect key coastal nesting rookeries of endangered sea turtles on Gnaraloo beaches, namely loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles. The Gnaraloo Bay Rookery is the largest confirmed mainland nesting rookery for loggerhead sea turtles in Western Australia, with consecutive full season surveys from 2008/09 – 2014/15 (and ongoing). Together with the Gnaraloo Cape Farquhar Rookery, it supports and contributes to the third largest loggerhead turtle population in the world. The GTCP collects baseline data on sea turtle nesting activities along the Gnaraloo coastline to identify trends and required management activity to protect endangered marine species and critical coastal nesting habitat; engages the community and schools in conservation activity; trains young scientists for professional careers; builds capacity and knowledge shares its findings.