The Great Australian Bight

The Great Australian Bight is a large, curving bay on the southern coast of Australia. It stretches for hundreds of miles along the coastline. The word bight means a curve or bend in a coastline. Tall cliffs line much of the shore.

The Cliffs and Coast

The Bunda Cliffs along the Great Australian Bight are some of the longest sea cliffs in the world. They stretch for about 60 miles and rise over 200 feet above the ocean. The land above the cliffs is flat and dry. The Nullarbor Plain sits behind the cliffs.

Wildlife

The Great Australian Bight is an important home for marine life. Southern right whales come here to have their babies each year. Sea lions, dolphins, and great white sharks swim in the waters. Many seabirds nest along the rocky cliffs.

Fun Facts

• The Nullarbor Plain above the bight is one of the flattest areas on Earth.
• The Trans-Australian Railway runs along the bight and has the longest straight stretch of railroad in the world.
• The Great Australian Bight is about 720 miles wide.

Did You Know?

The Bunda Cliffs along the Great Australian Bight are so tall and straight that they look like a wall between the land and the sea!