Australia is well-known for its kangaroos and koalas, but delve a little deeper and you will find a whole host of unusual and interesting wildlife just waiting to be discovered on a tailor-made tour of Australia.
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Australia
Clown fish in the Great Barrier Reef
Found in: The Great Barrier Reef
Thanks to the Pixar film 'Finding Nemo' clownfish have now become one of the most popular additions to home aquariums. Thankfully, it is also possible to see these colourful creatures in their natural habitat and they are native to the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef on Australia's east coast. There are 28 recognised species of clownfish with colours ranging from yellow or orange, to red and black. The biggest of these species can reach 18cm (7 inches) with the smallest a mere 10cm (4 in).
Found in: Kakadu National Park
Both freshwater and saltwater crocodiles can be found in Australia, mainly around the Northern Territories. Freshwater crocs are the smaller of the two species growing up to three metres (10 ft), whereas the saltwater crocs can reach a massive six metres (19.8 ft)! Australian saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptile in the world and have a reputation of attacking humans, unlike the freshwater crocs who's jaws are not large enough to serious injure a human.
Found in: Queensland
There are seven species of marine turtle worldwide and four of those forage and nest on the eastern beaches of the Cape York peninsula in Queensland. Unfortunately, marine turtles often get caught up in trawler net and this, in conjunction with relatively low reproductive sucess as well as feral pigs destroying a large number of turtle nests, means they are threatened by extinction. Adult female turtles return to the beach where they hatched to lay their eggs, sometimes travelling huge distances to do so.
Found on: Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island on the south coast of Australia is one of the best places to view Australian sea lions, as they are native to the area. Highly sociable animals, they spend a lot of time on the beach and can often be seen in large groups. Australian sea lions are considered rare under South Australian legislation and there are currently only 3,000 to 5,000 in existence.
Found in: Ningaloo Marine Park
Despite its ferocious appearance, the whale shark is actually a filter feeder and, therefore, not a threat to humans. Reaching an average of 8.5 metres, it is the largest fish in the world and is easily recognisable by its spotty body and large, broad mouth. In the Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia it is possible to swim with these creatures and to do so is a truly amazing experience.