Animals in Moreton Bay

An international treasure known for its biological diversity and aesthetic beauty.

 

Moreton Bay is home to hundreds of species of fish, six of the world’s seven sea turtle species, three species of dolphin and herding dugong. It also contains numerous species of shark and ray, migrating whales and thousand of mollusc and other invertebrates.

 

Moreton Bay is geographically positioned between tropical and temperate waters. This, with its relatively shallow marine environment and large input of freshwater from its catchment, results in a complex and fragile ecosystem that is extremely productive. The Bay has an extremely diverse and significant ecology.

 

Moreton Bay is home to hundreds of species of fish, six of the world’s seven sea turtle species, three species of dolphin and herding dugong. It also contains numerous species of shark and ray and thousands of mollusc and other invertebrates. Moreton Bay has one of the most diverse and abundant marine mammal faunas of any part of the Australian coast. Resident populations of subtropical and tropical species of dugongs and dolphins are joined by seasonal visitors when humpback and southern right whales travel along their coastal migration paths. Whilst Moreton Bay’s sheltered waters provide refuge for migrating whales, there are also habitats for those mammals that choose to make it their principal residence.