Some towns are so synonymous with the attractions which helped put them on the tourist map in the first place that it’s almost impossible to imagine one without the other.
Think Coffs Harbour and the Big Banana; Monkey Mia and swimming with dolphins; or Coober Pedy without the opals.
Some people might even have put the South Australian town of Whyalla and its cuttlefish in the same category … but not any more!
Famed as the only known place on Earth where Giant Australian Cuttlefish gather in their thousands to breed, few have appeared this winter … perhaps because of the massive algal bloom that has recently affected the region’s waterways.
Cuttlefish numbers are down, and diving activities have been restricted. PIC: Whyalla Council
The State Government recently introduced a 90-day exclusion zone from Black Point to Stony Point – the main cuttlefish breeding area – in order to protect the low numbers of cuttlefish. It restricts in-water recreational activities such as snorkelling, diving and vessel anchoring.
Of course, this has all been a bit of a hammer blow for the town … although the tourism industry, the community, and government and environmental bodies all agree the current low numbers need to be left undisturbed.
Whyalla Mayor Phill Stone though is keen to emphasise that on-land Cuttlefest events will continue, and to stress that Whyalla has a lot more to offer visitors than diving with the cephalopods.
The circular jetty is one of the other major attractions in Whyalla. PIC: Whyalla Council
“We fully support the State Government’s intervention to avoid any potential impact on this unique, internationally renowned spectacle,” he said. “It’s incredibly disappointing their numbers have remained low this season, and we feel for those in the industry being impacted by the current downturn and hope the numbers bounce back in future seasons – both for the future of the cuttlefish and the tour operators.”
And he appealed to grey nomads and all other would-be travellers to the region not to be put off by reports of low cuttlefish numbers, and to check out the area’s other natural and man-made wonders.
“We’ve got dolphins and seals; the only circular jetty in the southern hemisphere; sunsets to die for; stranded shingle ridges; the sea on one side with the Outback on the other; plus the only manufacturer of structural steel and rails in Australia,” the Mayor said.
And he said this was one of the few operational steelworks that visitors could view up-close with its award-winning tours.
“And despite the low cuttlefish numbers, we’re still celebrating these incredible creatures and educating tourists and locals on their uniqueness through a host of land-based Cuttlefest activities,” the Mayor said.
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