Jawbone Marine Sanctuary

Jawbone Marine Sanctuary, named after its shape, is located in Williamstown and protects 30ha of coastal waters. The little promontory, west of the beach at Williamstown, has been fenced off from the rest of the world for over 80 years by a coastal rifle range. This forgotten and unspoilt place is now considered a haven for coastal and marine life right next to Melbourne. Patches of all marine habitats from northern Port Phillip Bay are packed into this small area. On the west of the promontory, there is saltmarsh and the largest occurrence of mangroves within Port Phillip Bay. They also happen to be the only mangroves in Victoria which grow on a basalt coast. Offshore there are areas of fine clayey sand and patches of seagrass. The eastern side has a complete set of rocky environments. There are areas high up on the shore that only occasionally get wet from storm waves and submerged boulders and ledges that lie below the lowest tides. The soft basalt rock has weathered into smaller rocks and pools that support a full range of tidal life. In between the clay and rock lie some small sandy beaches. Before you go Conditions can change in parks for many reasons. For the latest information on changes to local conditions, please visit the relevant park page on the Parks Victoria website. Be bushfire ready in the great outdoors. Refer to the Bushfire Safety section on the Parks Victoria website for tips on how to stay safe.