Coastal management and marine wildlife
The City of Stirling is responsible for managing seven kilometers of coastline, which includes around 70 hectares of coastal conservation dunes. This stretch features some of Perth’s best beaches, including Scarborough and Trigg, as well as the sheltered bays of Mettams Pool, North Beach, and Watermans Bay. These diverse environments offer unique habitats for native plants and animals, while also serving as popular recreational spots.
The City of Stirling remains committed to preserving its coastal and marine environments through comprehensive management and community involvement. These efforts ensure that the natural beauty and biodiversity of the coastline are protected for future generations to enjoy.
Coastal restoration
The City has implemented several restoration projects across key coastal locations, such as Peasholm Dog Beach, Brighton Beach, Scarborough Beach, South Trigg Beach, and Trigg Beach reserves. Restoration activities focus on the removal of invasive weeds and the planting of local native dune species to enhance visual amenity, provide habitat, and control coastal erosion. Restoration projects in rocky limestone northern bay beaches include Bennion Beach, Mettams Pool, Hamersley Pool, and Watermans Bay. The community can get involved in coastal restoration projects by joining one of our community planting days.
Stirling Natural Environment
Stirling Natural Environment Coastcare is a community group of dedicated volunteers focused on conserving and promoting natural resource management within the City's coastal reserves. They contribute to various on-ground activities aimed at protecting and restoring the coastal environment. For more information or to get involved, visit Stirling Natural Environment Coastcare.
Marmion Marine Park
Marmion Marine Park is Western Australia's first marine park, declared on 13 March 1987, and extends from Trigg Island to Burns Rocks. It is managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and was created to conserve this special marine environment while also provided recreational opportunities for park visitors.
The coastline adjacent to Marmion Marine Park is managed by local governments including the City of Stirling and various volunteer groups.
Bird watching
The area is home to a variety of wonderful birds. You can see terns and ospreys along the coast, plunging from high in the sky to snatch fish from the sea.
The beaches are frequented by pied cormorants and darters, which hold their wings out to dry after diving for food. Small raptors such as black-shouldered kites and nankeen kestrels hover above the dunes, searching for prey.
Sea lions
The Australian sea lion is one of the rarest sea lions in the world and is endemic to southern Australia. They can be seen basking on the shores of Little Island and Burns Rocks or feeding in the surrounding waters.
Most of the sea lions around Perth are males, and they travel to the islands off Jurien to breed every 17 and a half months.
Dolphins
Small pods of dolphins hunt and fish in the marine park. Bottlenose dolphins can regularly be seen from the beach.
Whales
Humpback whales can be seen during the winter months as they migrate to and from their summer feeding grounds around Antarctica. If you’re lucky, you might see southern right whales close to the shore, usually a mother protecting and feeding her young calf.
Reptiles
The area is home to many species of reptiles where you can often see their tracks in freshly blown sand. Keep a lookout for the tracks of the King’s skink, spiny-tailed gecko, and lizards, as well as snake trails and the subsurface burrowings of legless lizards and sandgropers.
Mettams pool fish species
Local Stirling students, Rehan and Nehan Somaweera, along with their biologist dad Ru Somaweera have documented the amazing fish diversity at Mettams Pool. Located in the Marmion Marine Park, Mettams pool is a popular snorkelling and scuba diving destination for locals and visitors.
Take a look at their research discoveries 'Fishes of Mettams Pool' here.
Image gallery credit: Ru Somaweera
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Southern Blue Devil, Paraplesiops meleagris
Globefish, Diodon nicthemerus
Old Wife, Enoplosus armatus
Post Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni
Redlip Morwong, Goniistius rubrolabiatus
Goldspotted Sweetlips, Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus
Is your school, community group, or group of friends interested in volunteering through a coastal clean-up event?
You can register with Clean Up Australia, who will be able to assist in providing clean-up kits and materials needed for rubbish collecting.
Please submit coastal clean-up events on our website ‘Organising an Event’ and contact Events on eventapplications@stirling.wa.gov.au for any pre-application queries or to discuss dates, etc. It is important to provide a location of where the rubbish bags will be left after the event, as we may be able to arrange for the City to collect them for removal.