FASCINATING FAUNA

Look to land, sea and sk y to spot the wonderful wildlife that calls Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park home.

DOLPHINS

Peer out to sea at any given point up and down the coast and it’s possible you might see bottlenose dolphins riding beach breaks with the surfers. Tune your radar for humpback and southern right whales from June to December.

QUENDAS

As for land-based creatures, kangaroos, possums, reptiles and more are found all through the park including the quenda; this grounddwelling marsupial of the bandicoot and bilby family is endemic to the South West of WA and not to be confused with its doppelganger, the southern brown bandicoot.

ROCK PARROTS

Leeuwin-Naturaliste is a birdwatcher’s paradise, with opportunities to spot species of all shapes and sizes, from the dainty New Holland honeyeater to the more sizeable emu. Be on the look out for cheeky, chubby rock parrots foraging in coastal scrub; they’re often found playing at the old waterwheel near Cape Leeuwin.

RED-TAILED TROPICBIRDS

Many magnificent seabirds also grace the skies and surrounds of the park, including the red-tailed tropicbird. Head to the nature reserve of Sugarloaf Rock, which is a haven for nesting seabirds and where this graceful creature calls home from September to February each year.