About the Abrolhos Islands

One of Western Australia’s most unique marine environments is the Abrolhos Islands.
Situated on the edge of the Continental shelf 60 km’s west of Geraldton the Abrolhos consists of 122 islands spread into 3 major groups, Wallabi, Easter & Southern Group which extend North to South over 100km’s of ocean.

Large colonies of sea birds exist on many of the islands & depend on  schools of pelagic baitfish for food.  More than 90 species of seabird have been identified.  Smaller seabirds, In turn, provide food for white-breasted sea eagles which also occur in unusually large numbers throughout the Abrolhos Islands.

Many mammals frequent the area which includes the Australian Sea lion which is endemic to Australian waters.
The sea lion uses several small sand islands around the Abrolhos as hall out sites.  The bull male grows much larger than the female and collect large breeding harems if they can.  The young are born every 17 - 18 months of their breeding cycle.  The pups feed at first on a milk that is extremely rich with fats and proteins then progress to a regurgitated diet provided by its mother.  In a few months the pups are swimming and learning to catch their own fish and crustaceans. 

The coral reefs surrounding the Abrolhos are the southern most reefs in the Indian Ocean.
There is a unique mix of tropical fish, corals and invertebrates living closely amongst more temperate species.

Lobsters which are called crayfish are so abundant that in the 14weeks that the rock lobster fishery is open the fishermen produce on average 1.5 million kilograms of lobster worth over $40m  and comprising of about 15% of the total catch from the fishery.  The crayfish are put into holding crates and lowered back into the water off the jetties to be kept alive for up to a  few days until they can be transported to Geraldton on the carrier boat to be processed.
The Abrolhos rock lobster season opens on the 15th of March and runs to the 30th of  June, in that time 150 fishermen licensed to fish the Abrolhos waters with their families and deckhands will take up residence on the 22 islands designated for fishers camps.
Pearl farming is also becoming a large industry in the Abrolhos, producing the Abrolhos black pearl and are quite visible as we fly over Southern Group Islands.

The Abrolhos lies in a stream of Western Australia’s warm southward flowing Leeuwin Current which starts to flow in April and runs through the winter months until October.  After the full moon in March before the Leeuwin current starts to flowing, there is a mass coral sporning phenomena.  Eggs and sperm bundles from the stag horn corals are released and rise to the surface where they break open and disperse.  Masses of bright red eggs from the spawning can be seen. 
Bald chin groper are endemic to the Abrolhos.  It is a superior food fish, and one of the prize catches sort by Western Australian reef fishermen. 

The Abrolhos are also famous for  their historic shipwreck, one being the Zeewijk (1727) and the most famous being the Batavia which was part of the Dutch East India Company which ran aground on her maiden voyage in 1629.  40 people drowned trying to get ashore to the coral island soon after the Batavia ran aground.  A further 200 survivors were taken ashore by long boat to the nearest and largest island, Beacon Island, then called Batavia’s graveyard.  Without food, water or shelter a further 20 people died from illness or from drinking seawater.  Most of the survivors were later murdered by the undermurchant of the Batavia, Jeronimus Cornelius and a gang of his blood thirsty mutineers.  A total of 125 men, women and children were slaughtered on the tiny islands.  Cornelius and his men were finally over powered by Weibbe Hayes and the soldiers on West Wallabi.  A rescue boat, the Sardam was sent from Java to collect any valuables and any survivors left on the islands.  Cornelius was tried by court and was sentenced to death and hung on Long Island.  6 of his mutineers were also hung on Long Island. Others were taken back to Holland where they were tortured and put to death.