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99-482: The largest towns on the gulf are Port Lincoln , Whyalla , Port Pirie , and Port Augusta . Smaller towns on the gulf include Tumby Bay , Port Neill , Arno Bay , Cowell , Port Germein , Port Broughton , Wallaroo , Port Hughes , Port Victoria , Port Rickaby , Point Turton , and Corny Point . The first recorded exploration of the gulf was that of Matthew Flinders in February 1802. Flinders navigated inland from

198-493: A bulk commodities port, should it be developed at Port Bonython , adjacent to Point Lowly. A new wharf for the loading of iron ore , and possibly copper concentrates, has been proposed but not constructed. A community action group called the Cuttlefish Coast Coalition and Alternative Port Working Party were formed in opposition to new desalination and port developments near the cuttlefish breeding habitat. In 2021,

297-492: A cause, but was otherwise inconclusive, and that further areas of Spencer Gulf would be closed in 2014. The population continued its decline, reaching the lowest numbers on record in 2013. In 2014, the cuttlefish population showed first signs of potential recovery, after 15 years of an overall trend of decline. Numbers increased again in 2015 confirming this trend. As of 2021, the population has recovered to an estimated population exceeding 240,000 animals. The fishing ban for

396-825: A desalination plant at Point Lowly. The major sponsor of Come Out Festival in 2009 was the BHP Billiton Youth Fund, the same company which proposed to construct the desalination plant. The overarching theme of the festival that year was 'Colliding Worlds'. BHP Billiton has not sponsored the Come Out Festival since the 2009 event. During the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March 2012, the RiAus presented Sepia , an original work by Welsh playwright, Emily Steel. Set in Whyalla,

495-666: A fixed route timetable and services Lincoln North and Lincoln South. Long-distance bus services are operated by Stateliner with multiple daily services to Adelaide and Port Augusta . The book Blue Fin by Colin Thiele was set in Port Lincoln, with the movie of the same name filmed in nearby Streaky Bay . Some of the ANZAC Cove scenes in Gallipoli were also filmed near Port Lincoln. The first edition of Australian Survivor ,

594-515: A hut at Port Lincoln. The Western Weekly News (22 March 1902 – 1904) was also briefly published in the town, as was another short lived, but outspoken publication, called Challenger (28 May 1932 - 4 June 1934), a sister publication of the West Coast Recorder. The town was also the base of the Port Lincoln, Tumby and West Coast Recorder (22 July 1904 – 6 October 1909), later known as

693-428: A new port development was approved for the site of the former Playford power stations , which were decommissioned and demolished in the mid 2010s. Increasing shipping traffic in the upper Spencer Gulf has the potential to impact cuttlefish behavior due to cephalopod sensitivity to high intensity, low frequency sound. The upper Spencer Gulf cuttlefish aggregation is celebrated each year by Cuttlefest, an event hosted by

792-489: A new survey in 2008 found the biomass had decreased a further 17%. In 2011, an estimated 33% of the 2010 population had returned to breed, fewer than 80,000 cuttlefish. Beginning in May, the cuttlefish leave deep water and migrate along coastal reefs to reach their spawning grounds. Local fishermen claimed that a small "finger of land" near Point Lowly extends outside the exclusion zone and that commercial fishers have been targeting

891-583: A number of industrial pollution sources, and prospective sites for further development. As of 2021, operations that publicly report their pollution discharges to the sea in a controlled and measured manner include the Whyalla Steelworks , the Port Pirie lead smelter owned and operated by Nyrstar . The pollutants of primary concern to cuttlefish recruitment are changes of salinity (due to discharges from desalination plants) and nutrient enrichment, discharged by

990-466: A number of inshore and offshore islands. These include (from north to south): Due to its proximity to many identified mineral deposits in South Australia's Far North, Eyre Peninsula and Braemar regions, there are multiple new port and harbour developments proposed for the region. These include new or expanded facilities at (from north to south): In 2022, the government of South Australia announced

1089-451: A number of other potential locations, Light was ordered by England to consider Port Lincoln as a possible site for the capital. While Thomas Lipson had arrived in Port Lincoln earlier and approved of its "beautiful harbour" and "fertile land", Light was unconvinced from the beginning, as he faced fierce westerly gales, ill-placed islands and rocky reefs on arrival. Light decided that it might be dangerous for merchant ships trying to enter

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1188-544: A number of places listed on the South Australian Heritage Register , including: At June 2018 Port Lincoln had an estimated urban population of 26,326. Aboriginal people make up 5.6% of Port Lincoln's population. Port Lincoln has a contrasting coastal landscape, ranging from sheltered waters and beaches, to surf beaches and rugged oceanic coastline. The Great South Australian Coastal Upwelling System brings cold, nutrient-rich water into nearby waters of

1287-480: A seawater desalination plant at Point Lowly to supply fresh water to the Olympic Dam mine. The plant, located within 200 m (660 ft) of the breeding grounds, would release around 120 ML (32,000,000 US gal) of brine (46–60 ppt ) into the area each day. As cuttlefish embryos underdevelop and die off as salinity levels rise (optimal range 28–38 ppt, 100% mortality at 50 ppt), public opposition to

1386-504: A super vessel. The MFV Tacoma was Australia's first purpose-built tuna fishing vessel. It revolutionised the industry and began catching the fish off the coast of Port Lincoln in the early 1950s. The city also functions as a regional centre for government administration, corporate services and commerce to Eyre Peninsula; however, many state government functions are gradually being withdrawn as they become more centralised in Adelaide . During

1485-462: A threatened species under Australian law was made during the government's consideration of BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mine expansion project. The application was made following an observed and unexplained population decline and public concerns about future risks posed by industrial pollution. On 2 February 2011, the Australian government's Threatened Species Scientific Committee ruled that the species

1584-522: A thriving aquaculture industry that farms the following species: southern bluefin tuna , yellowtail kingfish , abalone , mussels , oysters , and experimentally, seahorses and spiny lobsters . Before the advent of aquaculture, the main fishing was for southern bluefin tuna . Frank Moorhouse recommended the South Australian government lend the Haldane family 20,000 pounds which they used to build

1683-651: A windjammer), but there was no grain to be had there, even though Moshulu waited at anchor for most of January. The crew was given shore leave in Port Lincoln, encountering large amounts of Australian wine . Moshulu eventually carried on to Port Victoria for cargo. During the 1939 season, Passat and Lawhill were also present at Port Lincoln. Newby wrote about his experiences on the round-trip from Ireland to South Australia in his book The Last Grain Race (1956), and several pictures of Port Lincoln as it appeared in 1939 are included in his photo-essay of his voyage, Learning

1782-431: Is semelparous , and death follows shortly after a single mating cycle and laying of eggs that will spawn the next generation. S. apama has poor anaerobic capability compared to most aquatic invertebrates and a lack of food leads to catabolism . Stomach-content analysis indicates fasting during the breeding season, and as S. apama can catabolise no more than 50% of its body weight, it slowly loses physical condition as

1881-719: Is also known for its snapper and Yellowtail kingfish fishing. Great white sharks are sometimes seen in Spencer Gulf by fishermen, and shark cage diving and surface tours operate out of Port Lincoln . A relic population of tiger pipefish ( Filicampus tigris ), a subtropical species is range limited to Northern Spencer Gulf. Visiting southern right whales and humpback whales enter Spencer Gulf from June through to October, and can be seen as far north as Point Lowly and Port Augusta. New Zealand fur seals and Australian sea lions can be found in southern Spencer Gulf, with significant breeding colonies located at Dangerous Reef and in

1980-482: Is also served by ABC West Coast SA on 1485 AM which broadcasts out of the Civic Centre on Tasman Terrace . It's also served by Triple J and ABC Radio National from Tumby Bay and satellite uplink from Melbourne respectively. ABC News Radio is also available on 91.5FM. It also receives KIXFM 87.6. Free to air TV stations available in Port Lincoln are ABC , SBS , Seven GTS/BKN (formerly Central Television),

2079-683: Is eaten by Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins , which have been observed (in South Australia's Spencer Gulf) to have developed a technique for removing the ink and cuttlebone from a cuttlefish before eating it. They are also eaten by Long-nosed fur seals . Yellowtail kingfish are also known to eat cephalopods. This has raised concerns about Yellowtail kingfish escapees from commercial fish farms impacting other species in Spencer Gulf including eating emergent Giant Australian cuttlefish or their eggs. Unpublished scientific data indicated that there are several genetically-distinct populations of giant cuttlefish living in Australian waters. Discovered by divers in

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2178-407: Is known of their subsequent movement or lifestyle strategies as a juvenile. Adults return to the aggregation site the following winter, or delay their return by an additional year. The World Register of Marine Species lists the giant cuttlefish under the genus Ascarosepion ; within this genus it is grouped with 13 other species, such as the broadclub cuttlefish , the reaper cuttlefish , and

2277-499: Is located in the federal Division of Grey , the state electoral district of Flinders and the local government area of City of Port Lincoln . The economy is based on the huge grain-handling facilities (with a total capacity of over 337,500  tonnes ), the canning and fish processing works, lambs, wool and beef, and tuna farming for the Japanese market. Home of Australia's largest commercial fishing fleet , Port Lincoln now has

2376-482: Is located in west side of Spencer Gulf, north of Whyalla, was declared in 1980 'for fisheries management, protection of its mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Goose Island Aquatic Reserve which is located at Goose Island on the east side of Spencer Gulf near Port Victoria was d eclared in 1971 to provide 'a conservation area where teaching institutions may conduct classes and scientific research on marine biology and ecology and to protect

2475-441: Is no strong evidence to suggest that fishing is impacting on the giant cuttlefish, therefore, further closures would be ineffective." On 28 March 2013, the state government introduced a temporary ban on fishing for cuttlefish in the northern Spencer Gulf for the 2013 breeding season. Fisheries Minister Gago announced that research into the reasons behind the 90% decline in the cuttlefish population had ruled out commercial fishing as

2574-434: Is one to one, Spencer Gulf males outnumber females by up to 11 to one in the spawning aggregation. If this is due to fewer females taking part or to males breeding for a longer period of time than females is not known. With densities of one cuttlefish per square metre (0.093 cuttlefish per square foot), covering about 61 hectares (150 acres), the sheer numbers of giant cuttlefish make this breeding aggregation unique in

2673-463: Is rather low: 392.5 mm (15.45 in), occurring within 127.1 rainfall days, and the wettest month on record was 200.4 mm (7.89 in) in June 1981. Despite the low intensity of rainfall: there are 154.5 cloudy days and only 57.2 clear days annually. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −0.3 °C (31.5 °F) on 16 July 2016 to 48.3 °C (118.9 °F) on 24 January 2019. Port Lincoln

2772-461: Is the terminus of Eyre Peninsula Railway , a narrow gauge ( 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in )) railway which consists of three lines; Port Lincoln to Kevin , Cummins to Buckleboo and Yeelanna to Kapinnie. Port Lincoln was also the port terminus for the privately owned standard-gauge Coffin Bay Tramway that operated from 1966 to 1989 to carry lime sand to the port at Proper Bay on

2871-606: The Great Australian Bight and Spencer Gulf . These upwellings support lucrative fisheries, including that of the southern bluefin tuna and sardine . Port Lincoln has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen: Csb). The climate is highly variable due to the town's position between the Outback and Southern Ocean . Summers alternate between frequent southerly sea breezes (keeping maxima under 30.0 °C (86.0 °F)), with occasional northerly heatwaves (that raise

2970-540: The Mallee Park Football Club which is notable as having produced many Australian Football League players, particularly indigenous. The Centenary Oval has a capacity for 7,500 and has hosted sellout pre-season AFL matches in 2005 and 2015. Port Lincoln Soccer Association runs a 4 team competition. Historically, South Australia's first rural newspaper, the Port Lincoln Herald , owned by Robert Thomas,

3069-514: The Nine Network and Southern Cross Ten . Also available is Foxtel pay TV. Port Lincoln is twinned with: Giant cuttlefish The giant cuttlefish ( Sepia apama ), also known as the Australian giant cuttlefish , is the world's largest cuttlefish species, growing to 50 cm (20 in) in mantle length and up to 100 cm (39 in) in total length (total length meaning

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3168-706: The West Coast Recorder (1909-1942), which was then absorbed by the Port Lincoln Times . These days, Port Lincoln has one local newspaper (the Port Lincoln Times) , a Rural Press publication first issued on 5 August 1927. It is published on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is printed in Murray Bridge at the high-tech Rural Press printing centre. Port Lincoln has two local commercial radio stations, 89.9 Magic FM and 765 AM 5CC (the first local commercial station) broadcasting out of their Washington Street studio. It

3267-425: The flamboyant cuttlefish . Genetic studies have shown that little if any interbreeding occurs between giant cuttlefish populations. While some genetic divergence is seen, the various populations are not considered taxonomically distinct and are commonly referred to by their location, e.g. Sepia apama upper Spencer Gulf population. The upper Spencer Gulf population is unique in that a permanent salinity gradient in

3366-557: The traditional owners , the Barngarla people , it is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, which opens eastward into Spencer Gulf . It is the largest city in the West Coast region, and is located approximately 280 km (170 mi) from the state's capital city of Adelaide (646 km (401 mi) by road). In June 2019 Port Lincoln had an estimated population of 26,418, having grown at an average annual rate of 0.55% year-on-year over

3465-546: The Australian version of the popular US television series, Survivor , was filmed at Whalers Way , south of Port Lincoln, in 2001. The Discovery Channel documentary series Tuna Wranglers (2007) and Abalone Wars were both filmed in and around Port Lincoln. Port Lincoln was visited in 1939 by English travel author Eric Newby , while he was crew in the 4-masted barque Moshulu , which anchored outside of Boston Island . Moshulu had taken 82 days to sail to Port Lincoln from Belfast in ballast (a fast passage for

3564-587: The British settlement became so successful that it prompted the near abandonment of Port Lincoln. As a result, Governor George Grey ordered a detachment of the 96th Regiment of the British Army under the command of Lieutenant Hugonin to enforce control in the area. After an initial defeat at Pillaworta , the 96th in combination with the Mounted Police and armed settlers were able to restore full British authority by

3663-516: The City of Whyalla. In May 2009, D'Faces of Youth Arts and Snuff Puppets produced a live theatre performance for Come Out Festival . It featured several large cuttlefish puppets and appeared in Adelaide 's Victoria Square , at the Adelaide Airport and at a Whyalla performance. Some controversy surrounded the performances after a participant in the project was openly critical of the plan to build

3762-585: The Northern Water Supply Project, led by SA Water , which intends to build a similar-sized desalination plant to that originally proposed by the company. Prospective sites are all located within the upper Spencer Gulf, renewing the threat posed to the aggregation. An environmental impact statement is anticipated mid-2024. Due to its proximity to the ore deposits of the Middleback Ranges , several mining companies have indicated they might use

3861-402: The Northern Water Supply Project, which as of 2023, is considering a business case for establishing a large seawater desalination plant in the upper Spencer Gulf. If constructed, water will be supplied for use to the Olympic Dam and Carapateena copper mines in the state's far north. It is also intended to supply water for a prospective hydrogen export industry. An environmental impact statement for

3960-761: The Port Augusta crossing. This so-called extension of the gulf consists of a land depression and occasional watercourse known as the Pirie–Torrens corridor , and the inland waterbody Lake Torrens . The northern end of the gulf is spanned by the Joy Baluch AM Bridge between Port Augusta and Port Augusta West and further north by Yorkey Crossing . Informal names for subdivisions of the gulf waters are sometimes used. "Northern Spencer Gulf" refers to waters north of Wallaroo and Arno Bay , while "Southern Spencer Gulf" refers to waters south of that line, extending to

4059-723: The Ropes . On the TV show Neighbours , the Brennan brothers, Tyler , Mark and Aaron , are originally from Port Lincoln. The town was featured in the second series of An Idiot Abroad . British comedian Karl Pilkington was in Port Lincoln for the show where he swam with sharks. According to the Port Lincoln Council the most popular sports are tennis , Australian rules football , soccer , netball and basketball . The Port Lincoln Football League (PLFL) has 6 teams competing including

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4158-692: The Sir Joseph Banks Group. Occasional sightings occurring in Northern Spencer Gulf. Bottlenose dolphins can be seen in the gulf's waters year-round. Breeding colonies of little penguins exist on islands in Spencer Gulf. The northernmost colonies are located at Lipson Island and Wardang Island . In 2004, the Wardang Island colony's population was approximately 8,000 penguins. Cape Barren geese and several species of cormorants also breed on islands in Spencer Gulf. Spencer Gulf contains

4257-646: The Spencer Gulf may physiologically exclude other populations from the zone occupied by the upper Spencer Gulf population. The upper Spencer Gulf population may in fact be a separate species, as it does show some hallmarks, such as genetic separation, differences in morphology , and different patterns of sexual dimorphism from adjacent populations. The giant cuttlefish is a neritic demersal species. They are carnivorous , opportunistic and voracious predators who feed predominantly on crustaceans and fish. Using neurally controlled cells known as chromatophore organs (red to yellow), iridophores ( iridescent : spans

4356-480: The Spencer Gulf on the north-west. Many of South Australia's iconic marine species can be found on the shores and in the waters of Spencer Gulf. The rocky inshore reef along the coast near Port Bonython and Point Lowly is a breeding ground for the Northern Spencer Gulf population of Australian giant cuttlefish . They are a favorite food of local bottlenose dolphins , who have developed sophisticated techniques for safely eating these creatures. The Upper Spencer Gulf

4455-616: The Tod-Ceduna system. Following the development of a long term water supply plan for Eyre Peninsula, the South Australian government is progressing detailed investigation of augmentation options. These include seawater desalination . Formerly a potable water resource fed by the Tod River, the Tod Reservoir was taken offline in 2001–2002 due to concerns about rising levels of agricultural chemical contamination and salinity . Port Lincoln has

4554-453: The area, intercepting the squid before they can reach the spawning grounds. Being semelparous breeders, ecologist Bronwyn Gillanders believed the cuttlefish were in danger, stating that determining whether this is a natural phenomenon or something else is difficult, and that the cause requires more research. In 2012, the number of cuttlefish that returned to the spawning ground again dropped again. A cross-government Cuttlefish Working Group

4653-576: The brain and their skin produces polarised reflective patterns, they may communicate through this visual system. By raising elaborate papillae on their skin, S. apama squid can change the shape and the texture of their skin to imitate rock, sand, or seaweed. A bioenergetics study found that the giant cuttlefish is primarily diurnal and has a small home range (90–550 m or 300–1,800 ft) over short recording periods while travelling large distances to breed. They are able to channel most of their energy directly into growth because they spend 95% of

4752-498: The colony's capital city in the 1830s. Even as a small town, Port Lincoln outgrew its fresh water supplies. It is now largely dependent on water drawn from groundwater basins in the south of the peninsula. The southern and western parts of the Eyre Peninsula region also share this resource via the Tod-Ceduna pipeline. The Iron Knob to Kimba pipeline completed in 2007 provides limited transfer capacity of River Murray water into

4851-670: The cuttlefish breeding grounds, first discovered in 2008. In 2014, the Adelaide Fringe Festival launched Stobie the Disco Cuttlefish , a 13-metre-long (43 ft) electrified cuttlefish puppet, equipped with strobing, coloured lighting and a sound system. Stobie the Disco Cuttlefish first appeared during the Adelaide Fringe Opening Parade, then performed with a troupe of dancers each Saturday night during

4950-435: The day resting, suggesting bioenergetics more like that of an octopus than a squid . Very little time is spent foraging (3.7% during the day and 2.1% at night); most of their time is spent resting and hiding in crevices from predators. The exception to this behavioral routine is the mass spawning aggregation, where cuttlefish are far more active during the days or weeks that they spend there. The Australian giant cuttlefish

5049-407: The degree of polarisation can also be controlled. Cuttlefish are colourblind ; however, the photoreceptors of cuttlefish eyes are arranged in a way which gives them the ability to see the linear polarisation of light . While the mantis shrimp is the only known creature to have true polarisation vision, cephalopods may also. Because the optic lobes of cuttlefish are larger than any other region of

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5148-478: The early years of this century, housing demand has led to a boom in property development , both residential and commercial. A proposal by Centrex Metals to export iron ore through an expanded facility at the existing Port Lincoln wharf was approved by the South Australian Government c. Oct 2009. The proposal was abandoned by the company following strong public opposition. The chief public concern

5247-463: The end of 1843. A section of Native Police were later deployed to the area to maintain this control. An unknown number of Aboriginal people were killed by soldiers near Pillaworta in retribution for the presumed killings of colonists. In 1849, five Aboriginal people including an infant were poisoned after being given flour mixed with arsenic by hutkeeper Patrick Dwyer near Port Lincoln. Despite being arrested with strong evidence against him, Dwyer

5346-501: The entire visible spectrum from blue to near- IR ) and leucophores (white), the cuttlefish can put on spectacular displays, changing colour and patterns in a fraction of a second. Located in three layers under the skin, leucophores make up the bottom layer, with chromatophores the outermost. By selective blocking, the three layers work together to produce polarised patterns. Unlike those in most animals, cuttlefish iridophores are physiologically active; they can change their reflectivity, and

5445-469: The estimated biomass) before dropping to 3.7 tonnes in 1999. The catch data for 2000 to 2005 were initially withheld citing commercial confidentiality. Catch data for the South Australian cuttlefish fishery are reported in annual reports of the Marine Scalefish Fishery, published by SARDI. The pre-2014 data are graphed below. From its establishment in 1987 to the financial year ending June 1992,

5544-572: The expedition's published charts. By the 1830s, the natural harbour of Port Lincoln had become the site of an unofficial settlement, due in part to its convenience as a base for whaling vessels – which had long operated in the Great Australian Bight . Prior to the selection of Adelaide , some consideration was given to Port Lincoln as the potential site of a capital city. The Gulf is 77 km (48 mi) wide at its mouth (from Cape Catastrophe to Cape Spencer) and 320 km (200 mi) long (from its mouth to Port Augusta). The western shore of

5643-484: The females being protected by the dominant males, which are extremely territorial. Male genetic material is deposited in sperm receptacles directly. The females, which potentially lay hundreds of eggs, extract one egg at a time and fertilise it by passing it over the sperm receptacle before attaching it to the underside of a rock at depths of 2 to 5 m (6 ft 7 in to 16 ft 5 in). An unsuccessful application to list this population of giant cuttlefish as

5742-423: The females by adopting rapidly changing bright colours and striking patterns. Females are polyandrous , and collaborative research indicates the tendency for females to reproduce using male genetic material deposited in spermatangia more favorably than in sperm receptacles directly. Females then attach their eggs to the undersides of rocks in caves or crevices, where they hatch within three to five months. S. apama

5841-492: The festival. The soundtrack to the performance included samples from the Bee Gees hit " Stayin' Alive " and the entire theme song from the movie Fame . In 2016, underwater photographer Scott Portelli's image Cuttlefish aggregation won the national first prize (Australia) in the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards—the world's biggest photography competition. The mass aggregation of giant cuttlefish at Point Lowly has inspired

5940-434: The first Governor of South Australia , gave instructions to Colonel William Light to find a capital for the "New British Province of South Australia ". With boatfuls of immigrants set to arrive and impatient settlers already camping at Holdfast Bay , Rapid Bay and Kangaroo Island , Light was under immense pressure to identify a location with a suitable harbour, sufficient agricultural land and fresh water. After assessing

6039-418: The first year. The second involves slow growth with maturity reached in two years, with large adults returning to spawn in the second year. The upper Spencer Gulf population displays reproductive behaviours unique to this population, possibly as a result of the high spawning densities. Large males defend females and egg-laying sites, while small males, "sneakers" mimic female colouring and form to gain access to

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6138-503: The fishery caught less than 3 tonnes per annum. Surveys indicated that the cuttlefish biomass remained stable from 1998 to 2001 as commercial fishing pressure was reduced by regulation. A survey in 2005 revealed a 34% decrease in biomass since 2001 that was attributed to natural variability and illegal fishing during the peak spawning period. The closure was subsequently expanded to the entire spawning grounds, and anecdotal observations suggested increased numbers in 2006 and 2007; however,

6237-456: The gulf is the Eyre Peninsula , while the eastern side is the Yorke Peninsula , which separates it from the smaller Gulf St Vincent . Its entrance was defined by Matthew Flinders in 1802 as a line from Cape Catastrophe on Eyre Peninsula to Cape Spencer on Yorke Peninsula. At the time of Flinders' exploration the gulf was noted to extend 298 km (185 mi) inland from a point near

6336-613: The gulf. On the west coast of the gulf, from north to south, they are Munyaroo Conservation Park , Franklin Harbor Conservation Park , Lipson Island Conservation Park , Tumby Island Conservation Park , Sir Joseph Banks Group Conservation Park , Lincoln National Park and Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area . On the east coast of the gulf, from north to south, they are Winninowie Conservation Park , Bird Islands Conservation Park , Goose Island Conservation Park , Leven Beach Conservation Park and Innes National Park . At

6435-480: The habitat of the seal colony situated on White Rocks.' Whyalla - Cowleds Landing Aquatic Reserve which is located on the west side of Spencer Gulf, just south of Whyalla, was declared in 1980 to 'protect the mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Yatala Harbour Upper Spencer Gulf Aquatic Reserve which is located in Yatala Harbour on the east side of Spencer Gulf, north of Port Pirie,

6534-485: The harbour, which he later named Port Lincoln after the city of Lincoln in his native county of Lincolnshire in England. A couple of months later on 19 April, Nicolas Baudin entered the same port and named it Port Champagny . Sealers had visited the area around 1828 and the mainly French whaling ships were fishing the local bays and island regions by the 1820s and up to the 1840s. In 1836 Governor Sir John Hindmarsh ,

6633-410: The late 1990s, the upper Spencer Gulf population is the best studied, largely because it is the world's only known mass cuttlefish spawning aggregation. It has also become a popular ecotourism attraction for divers and snorkelers. Hundreds of thousands of giant cuttlefish gather on subtidal reefs around Point Lowly near Whyalla between May and August. While outside of the breeding season, the sex ratio

6732-651: The mouth of the gulf, the Gambier Islands Conservation Park is located within the Gambier Islands group. Three Important Bird Areas (IBAs) have been nominated by BirdLife International at locations in Spencer Gulf. The Spencer Gulf Important Bird Area lies along the north-eastern coast of the Gulf; it comprises a 460 square kilometres (180 square miles) strip of coastal land consisting mainly of intertidal mudflats , mangroves and salt marshes . It

6831-649: The mouth of the gulf. "Upper Spencer Gulf" includes the waters north of Port Pirie, and includes the three towns sometimes referred to as the Iron Triangle: Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie. Its boundary lacks precise definition. The land surrounding the gulf, consisting of the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas , is the Eyre Yorke Block bioregion . This was originally wooded shrubland but has now mainly been cleared for agriculture. The arid Gawler bioregion extends to

6930-494: The play told the story of the fictitious character Neil, the proprietor of a caravan park who was struggling to come to terms with the cuttlefish decline whilst trying to keep his family together. The play also featured at the Melbourne Fringe Festival . Presenting partner RiAus is sponsored by the oil and gas company Santos . Santos was responsible for hydrocarbon groundwater contamination at Port Bonython, adjacent to

7029-423: The population to be a separate species based on unpublished scientific data, warned that the Spencer Gulf cuttlefish faced possible extinction within two or three years if nothing was done to better protect them. The state government working group recommended an immediate ban on fishing for the cuttlefish; however, this was rejected by the state cabinet on 3 September with Fisheries Minister Gail Gago stating, "There

7128-487: The possible impact of the plant on the cuttlefish population and two major contamination events have happened at the associated port and refinery. Santos denies that groundwater contamination detected in the late 2000s spread off-site, but the SA EPA said hydrocarbons had migrated through the rock strata beyond the plant and the barrier trench built by Santos. Santos now provides funding for cuttlefish research. The other incident

7227-459: The preceding five years. The city is reputed to have the most millionaires per capita in Australia, as well as claiming to be Australia 's "Seafood Capital". The Eyre Peninsula has been home to Aboriginal people for over 40 thousand years, with the Barngarla (eastern Eyre, including Port Lincoln), Nauo (south western Eyre), Wirangu (north western Eyre) and Mirning (far western Eyre) being

7326-575: The predominant original cultural groups present at the time of the arrival of Europeans. The Barngala people have been acknowledged as the traditional owners, and their name for Port Lincoln is Galinyala, which in the Barngarla language means "place of sweet water". Matthew Flinders was the first European to reach Port Lincoln under his commission by the British Admiralty to chart Australia's unexplored coastline. On 25 February 1802, Flinders sailed his exploration vessel HMS Investigator into

7425-423: The present location of Port Augusta to within 44–39 km (27–24 mi) of the termination of the water body. The gulf was named Spencer's Gulph by Flinders on 20 March 1802, after George John Spencer , the 2nd Earl Spencer . The Baudin expedition visited the gulf after Flinders with Nicholas Baudin giving it the name Golfe Bonaparte and Louis de Freycinet using the name Golfe de la Melomanie on

7524-529: The project is anticipated mid-2024. As of 2016, one reverse osmosis and one thermal seawater desalination plant draw water from Spencer Gulf. Several others are planned. All currently or will produce water primarily or exclusively for industrial use. They are: The Spencer Gulf region, its wildlife and its development are the subjects of a documentary film in production (as of 2020) entitled Cuttlefish Country . Spencer Gulf contains four aquatic reserves . Blanche Harbour-Douglas Bank Aquatic Reserve which

7623-504: The proposed plant was considerable because of the possible environmental impacts. The plan was approved in 2011, but was not constructed and was later officially abandoned. Since that time, two new, smaller scale seawater desalination plants have been commissioned and discharge brine into the gulf: one at the Whyalla Steelworks and another at Sundrop Farms, south of Port Augusta . In 2022, BHP sought to increase its water supply via

7722-544: The season progresses and eventually dies. Throughout their range, these cephalopods breed in pairs or small groups, laying eggs in suitable caves or rock crevices. Loose spawning aggregations can form, but rarely exceed 10 animals in any one location, with one known exception: hundreds of thousands aggregate along rockey reefs between Whyalla and Point Lowly in the Upper Spencer Gulf . While surveys suggest that juveniles leave these spawning grounds after hatching, nothing

7821-530: The south side of the town for BHP . It was used as flux in blast furnaces. Port Lincoln Airport is located a few kilometres north of the city. Regional Express and QantasLink provide multiple daily flights to the state capital of Adelaide . All flights that QantasLink operate in and out of Port Lincoln Airport are operated using their Dash 8-300 aircraft. The Port Lincoln Bus Service operates Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm with separate morning and afternoon services. The morning service runs to

7920-492: The south. It occurs on rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and sand and mud seafloor to a depth of 100 m (330 ft). In 2009 the species was listed at Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to an observed declining trend at that time. Giant cuttlefish live for one to two years. Breeding takes place with the onset of the southern winter. Males abandon their normal cryptic colouring and set out to dazzle

8019-451: The steelworks, lead smelter, municipal wastewater treatment plants and farming of yellowtail kingfish. Northern Spencer Gulf is an oligotrophic inverse estuary with naturally low levels of nutrients cycling through it. A potential exists for anthropogenic nutrient pollution to cause eutrophication in the region with associated ecological impacts to the cuttlefish and wider ecology. A long-term industrial nutrient pollution source exists to

8118-651: The temperature to well over 40.0 °C (104.0 °F)). Meanwhile, winters are cool and cloudy, with frequent drizzle, showers and cold fronts , albeit with frost being very rare. There is moderate seasonal temperature variation and seasonal lag , with average maxima ranging from 26.2 °C (79.2 °F) in January to 16.1 °C (61.0 °F) in July, while average minima vary from 16.1 °C (61.0 °F) in February to 7.2 °C (45.0 °F) in August. Average annual rainfall

8217-498: The town had a first-class water supply. The port had become the commercial pivot for the area, providing for its many agricultural and commercial requirements. City status was granted to Port Lincoln on 21 January 1971 and the proclamation was read at the opening of the tenth annual Tunarama Festival on the Australia Day weekend. The lack of a reliable surface water supply was a factor preventing Port Lincoln from being proclaimed

8316-460: The unfamiliar territory after a long voyage and that there was not enough of what he thought was good agricultural land, nor enough fresh water to sustain a city. Instead he selected Adelaide as the most suitable place for settlement. Port Lincoln, however, proved popular with pioneers and developers. The first settlers arrived on 19 March 1839 aboard the ships Abeona , Porter and Dorset . On 3 October 1839, Governor George Gawler proclaimed

8415-420: The water column and sediment. Concerns have been raised about an observed correlation between fish farming intensification, fish mortalities and the decline and eventual recovery of the giant Australian cuttlefish after fish farming ceased in upper Spencer Gulf. In 1984, before the spawning grounds were discovered, Santos built a hydrocarbon processing plant at adjoining Port Bonython . Some concern exists over

8514-428: The west of the cuttlefish breeding reef at the Whyalla Steelworks. There, ammonia , a byproduct of its coking process for steel-making, and is discharged into Spencer Gulf via reed-beds and settling ponds. North of the cuttlefish aggregation, sea cage farming of yellowtail kingfish occurred commercially from the late 1990s until 2011. Fish farming is another nutrient pollution source, as uneaten feed and fish waste enter

8613-616: The whole area from Cape Catastrophe to the head of the Spencer Gulf as one district, which he named the District of Port Lincoln. In 1840, one year after settlement, the population of Port Lincoln was 270. There were 30 stone houses, a hotel, blacksmith's shop and a store in the Happy Valley area. Around this time, Edward John Eyre explored the peninsula that was subsequently named in his honour. In early 1842, local Aboriginal resistance to

8712-642: The whole length of the body including outstretched tentacles). They can be over 10.5 kg (23 lb) in weight. Like all cuttlefish species, the giant cuttlefish has 8 arms and 2 feeding tentacles, as well as blue blood and 3 hearts. Using cells known as chromatophores , the cuttlefish can put on spectacular displays, changing colour in an instant. The giant cuttlefish is native to temperate and subtropical waters of Australia , from Brisbane in Queensland to Shark Bay in Western Australia and Tasmania to

8811-505: The whole of northern Spencer Gulf was extended until 2020, prohibiting their capture in all Spencer Gulf waters north of Wallaroo and Arno Bay . In 2020 the closed area rolled back to the same limited spatial closure that was in place in 2012, encompassing the waters of False Bay, from Whyalla to Point Lowly and extending northwards towards the Point Lowly North marina. The mass aggregation sites of Upper Spencer Gulf are proximate to

8910-623: The world. As the cuttlefish are oblivious to divers while spawning, they are now a major regional tourist attraction for divers from around the world. Professor Roger Hanlon of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has called the breeding aggregation "the premier marine attraction on the planet." The upper Spencer Gulf population displays two alternative lifecycles in both sexes (growth pattern polymorphism ). The first involves rapid growth with maturity reached in seven to eight months with small adults returning to spawn in

9009-650: Was declared in 1980 for 'the protection of its mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Spencer Gulf contains five marine parks , each with its own outer boundary and internal zoning. Fishing is prohibited with Sanctuary Zones, and detailed maps and GPS coordinates for the parks are available from the Government of South Australia's Department of Environment, Water & Natural Resources. The marine parks within Spencer Gulf are (from north to south): A number of terrestrial reserves either adjoin Spencer Gulf at low water or are located on islands within

9108-408: Was established and recommended investigating broader ecological factors. Tour guide Tony Bramley , who had been taking divers to view the spawning grounds since they were discovered, stated, "It's heartbreaking, when you look at what's left ... [once] there were so many animals you couldn't land on the bottom, you had to push them aside." The Conservation Council of South Australia , which believes

9207-462: Was fished for snapper bait, with annual catches of around 4 tonnes (4,000 cuttlefish). During the 1995 and 1996 spawning seasons, commercial fishing of the spawning grounds harvested around 200 tonnes annually. Overexploitation was recognised after 245 tonnes were harvested in 1997, leading to 50% of the grounds being closed to commercial fishing in 1998. Despite half of the grounds being closed, commercial fishers took 109 tonnes in 1998 (about half of

9306-640: Was identified as an IBA by BirdLife International because of its importance for the conservation of waders , or shorebirds. The other two IBAs within Spencer Gulf are located in the Sir Joseph Banks Group and at Goose Island . Both sites contain breeding colonies of various island seabird species. Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a city on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia . Known as Galinyala by

9405-458: Was not eligible for listing, as the affected population was not taxonomically distinct from the rest of the species for the purposes of the Act. Further scientific work has determined the cuttlefish of northern Spencer Gulf to be genetically distinct from other giant cuttlefish populations in Australian waters though the results remain unpublished. Prior to the mid-1990s, the upper Spencer Gulf population

9504-573: Was published on 10 April 1839, before ceasing publication in September 1840. According to the first edition, "...The object of the proprietors...is to promulgate just accounts of the capabilities of the only safe and commodious harbour yet known within the territories of South Australia." Only six issues were released, with the first edition being printed in Hindley Street, Adelaide , and the second issue arriving seven months later, after being printed in

9603-641: Was released from custody by Charles Driver, the Government Resident at Port Lincoln. Local government formally began on the Eyre Peninsula on 1 July 1880, with the establishment of the District Council of Lincoln. The township of Port Lincoln naturally was included in that area. On 18 August 1921, the Municipality of Port Lincoln was formally proclaimed. By 1936 the population had grown to 3200 and

9702-451: Was the 1992 Port Bonython oil spill , whereby 300 tonnes of bunker C crude oil spilled into the sea after a tugboat pierced its hull during berthing. The effects of these events on the local population of S. apama are unknown. The dispersal of brine from seawater desalination plant effluent streams has concerned scientists and the Whyalla community. During the mid-to-late 2000s, mining and energy company BHP Billiton developed plans to build

9801-566: Was the potential harm that spillage or dust plumes might cause to the profitability or reputation of the region's dominant seafood industry. Port Lincoln is a centre for tourism, with access to both Spencer Gulf and the Great Australian Bight mark Port Lincoln out as a site for yachting , scuba diving , shark cage diving and game fishing . Lincoln National Park , Coffin Bay National Park and Kellidie Bay Conservation Park are within driving distance. Port Lincoln railway station

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