Wildlife & Nature
Whales, Penguins & More
The best wildlife & nature in Aldinga & Port Willunga
From southern right whales calving in Encounter Bay to the little penguins of Granite Island and the leafy sea dragons of Rapid Bay, the Fleurieu is one of Australia's richest wildlife destinations.
The Fleurieu Peninsula is one of the best places in South Australia to get close to wildlife in the wild. Each year between roughly May and October, southern right whales travel to the sheltered waters of Encounter Bay off Victor Harbor to calve — you can often spot them from clifftop lookouts at the Bluff and Granite Island without ever leaving land.
Beyond the whales, the peninsula's natural diversity is remarkable for its size. The Coorong, at the southern edge near Goolwa, is an internationally significant wetland alive with pelicans, black swans and tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds. Deep Creek and the southern conservation parks shelter kangaroos, echidnas and a rich birdlife, while little penguins, New Zealand fur seals and bottlenose dolphins patrol the granite islands and reefs of the coast.
Spring carpets the bushland reserves in native wildflowers and orchids, and the rock pools of Aldinga Reef and the western beaches reveal their own miniature worlds at low tide. Whether you're whale watching, birdwatching or simply walking quietly through the bush, the Fleurieu rewards anyone who slows down and looks closely.
Browse wildlife & nature by area
4 places
Aldinga Reef Aquatic Reserve
One of South Australia's most accessible snorkelling reefs
A protected limestone reef system off Aldinga Beach and Port Willunga, fully protected since 1971 and home to wobbegongs, blue devils, schools of reef fish and dolphins.
Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park
A rare pocket of original coastal scrub
One of the last remnants of original coastal vegetation on the Adelaide plains, with sandy walking tracks, native woodland, wetlands and abundant birdlife.
Aldinga Washpool & Blue Lagoon
A coastal freshwater lagoon system inside Aldinga Conservation Park, with 166+ recorded bird species including hooded plover, mistletoebirds and rainbow bee-eaters.
Sellicks Hills Range
The dramatic ridge of the Sellicks Hills running south behind Sellicks Beach - a scenic geographic feature visible from the entire western Fleurieu coast.