SPOTLIGHT ON WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S MARINE DISCOVERY CENTRES: Bunbury and Hillarys

One of the truly great things going in Australia are the networks of marine environmental education centres here. Here are two Western Australian favourites:

Dolphin Discovery Centre, Bunbury, Western Australia 

The Dolphin Discovery Centre is a non-profit organisation committed to dolphin research, education, conservation and tourism.  The Centre was opened in 1994, and is the first Centre in Australia dedicated entirely to dolphin research. The Centre is located in Bunbury, a thriving city approxi mately 180 kilometres south of Perth in Western Australia. Facing Koombana Bay to the North, the Centre enables people to interact with Bottlenose dolphins in a variety of ways.

There are up to 100 dolphins living in the Bay and groups of them regularly visit the shallow waters in front of the Centre.  

To find out more about the Bunbury center click here 

Naturaliste Marine Discovery Centre – Hillarys Boat Harbour, Western Australia
The NMDC is situated within the Department of Fisheries’ Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories. The display was conceived around three major themes: marine biology and ecology; knowledge-driven management; and people and communities. It contains live exhibits (aquaria), interactive displays, touch screens with high-quality multimedia content, LCD screens, objects, viewing windows into working laboratories, artworks, a gift shop, education programs and a future marine discovery trail linking the Centre with the Aquarium of WA at the southern end of the harbour. 


To find our more about the Hillarys centre click here