Wyargine Aquatic Reserve

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Wyargine Aquatic Reserve

Community-led conservation for the creation of Wyargine Aquatic Reserve in Middle Harbour, Sydney.

16/06/2026

Sunrise magic at Balmoral this morning 🌅🐬

A pod of about six dolphins greeted the day just offshore 🩵

This is why the waters between Chinamans Beach, Wyargine Point and Balmoral Beach are so special and worthy of protection as a Marine Aquatic Reserve.

The proposed Wyargine Aquatic Reserve would help protect the seagrass meadows, kelp forests and marine life that make this remarkable part of Middle Harbour unique.

Protecting this area isn’t just about conserving and restoring the area today. It’s about ensuring future generations can experience moments like this sunrise encounter with dolphins in a healthy harbour.

If you’d like to help protect this special part of Sydney Harbour:
💙 Sign our petition
💙 Record and share marine wildlife sightings with us and on inaturalist
💙 Follow and share our mission
💙 Talk to friends and family about the importance of marine protection in this part of Sydney Harbour

Together, we can help create the Wyargine Aquatic Reserve and protect this unique marine environment for future generations.

📸 Thank you to swimmers Jeanette and Aaron for the video and photo!

The Harbour School Sydney Project Restore Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) Wild Sydney Harbour Project Felicity Wilson MP Zali Steggall northsider magazine North Shore Lorikeet Mosman Collective Mosman Living Mosman Daily

07/06/2026

🌊💙 Tomorrow 8 June is World Ocean Day - here’s how you can help!

World leaders have committed to protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 through Marine Protected Areas. Now it’s time to turn those commitments into action 💪🏽

At Wyargine Aquatic Friends, we’re working to establish the proposed Wyargine Aquatic Reserve across the waters of Chinamans Beach, Wyargine Point and Balmoral Beach. This special part of Sydney Harbour supports diverse marine life and habitats, and we believe it deserves stronger protection for future generations 🐬

One of the most important ways we can achieve this is by building an evidence base that demonstrates the biodiversity living in these waters. Every observation helps tell the story of why this area matters.

Here’s how you can help:

📸 Record what you see on the beach or in the water around Chinamans Beach, Wyargine Point and Balmoral Beach using iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/balmoral-wyargine-aquatic-reserve-proposed

Your sightings help document local marine life and build the scientific evidence needed to support stronger protection for this area 🩵

🗑️ Heading out for a walk along the beach? Why not pick up any rubbish you come across. Small actions from many people help keep our coastline healthy for wildlife and the community.

💙 Support our volunteers with a donation. Every contribution helps us continue documenting marine biodiversity, engaging the community, and advocating for the establishment of the Wyargine Aquatic Reserve.

Protecting our oceans starts locally. This World Ocean Day, join us in helping safeguard one of Sydney Harbour’s most valuable marine environments.

02/06/2026

This shovelnose ray was photographed in the proposed Wyargine Aquatic Reserve at Balmoral 🩵 a reminder that there’s a remarkable world beneath the surface that many people never get to see.

We’re working to establish an Aquatic Reserve in this part of Middle Harbour so habitats and marine life like this can continue to flourish.

If you’d like to support the proposal, you can sign the petition via the link in our bio.

Have you spotted something interesting while swimming, snorkelling or paddling in the area? We’d love to see it! Send us a DM 🐬

📷

23/05/2026

An Australian darter at Balmoral in March 🩵

Sadly, if you look closely at its beak, you can see a heartbreaking reminder of how easily wildlife can be harmed by discarded fishing hooks and fishing line.

At Wyargine Aquatic Friends, we are working to establish the proposed Wyargine Aquatic Reserve in the waters of Balmoral, Chinamans Beach and Wyargine Point to help protect seagrass meadows, kelp forests, seabirds (like this darter) and marine life for future generations.

If you fish, please dispose of hooks and line responsibly and retrieve lost tackle where possible. Small actions can truly make a huge difference for wildlife 🌱

Seabirds are an important part of a healthy harbour ecosystem and indicators of environmental health.

You can help protect this special place by signing our petition. Link in bio and here https://www.change.org/p/establishing-an-aquatic-reserve-at-balmoral-wyargine-aquatic-friends-inc 🌿🐦

Thank you for the photos!

18/05/2026

A magical morning encounter at Balmoral 🐟✨

This beautiful ray gliding through the waters at Wyargine is exactly why protecting this area matters. From seagrass meadows to rocky reefs, these waters are home to an incredible diversity of marine life, but they need our help to thrive for future generations.

Wyargine Aquatic Friends is working to establish an Aquatic Reserve between Chinamans Beach and Balmoral, creating a safe haven for marine biodiversity while keeping the area open for swimming, snorkelling and education. Just like Cabbage Tree Bay at Manly.

Want to help?
🌊 Sign the petition via the link in our bio
🌊 Record your marine life sightings online via our website
🌊 Share your stories and photos from the harbour by tagging us or sending us a DM

Every sighting, every conversation and every voice helps build momentum for stronger protection of this special place 🩵🪸🌱

Filmed by 🩵

12/05/2026

Spotted at Balmoral on the weekend 🐙 very special to see an octopus within the proposed Wyargine Aquatic Reserve!

24/04/2026

A fiddler ray cruising Balmoral 🐟 spotted by 🩵

These rays stick to sandy bottomed areas, seagrass beds, and calm coastal water where they can find food and stay protected. Looking after these habitats matters because so many other species depend on them too 🪸

22/04/2026

The proposed Wyargine Aquatic Reserve has been teaming with fish and sea birds in the past few weeks 🩵

We were lucky to be visited by this pelican and at least seven cormorants last week on the Edwards Beach side of Balmoral 🪸🤗

Sea birds like this are an important part of our marine ecosystem. We’d like to see even more in this area, and we hope that the establishment of the Wyargine Aquatic Reserve would support biodiversity restoration.

Our mission is to protect the waters from Chinamans Beach, past Wyargine Point and to Balmoral Beach. We’d like the same protections that exist at Cabbage Tree Bay in Manly 🪸

This is about protecting and restoring the marine environment that gives so much to us 🩵

📸

16/04/2026

Annnnd relax 🌞🩵🌱

How can we not protect this magnificent marine environment 🪸

We’re on a mission to establish the Wyargine Aquatic Reserve covering Chinamans Beach, Wyargine Point and Balmoral Beach in Sydney Harbour.

It would mean that this area would be protected - just like Cabbage Tree Bay in Manly.

Every little bit of help counts when it comes to environmental restoration. That’s why the support of each and every one of you goes a long way to help this come to life 🩵 it truly is a community effort 💪🏽

You can help by signing our petition, which is available via the link in our bio.

We are a registered charity, and all donations are welcome - your generosity will help our volunteers to continue this work to protect and conserve our marine environment for future generations to enjoy 🪸

Address

29-33 The Esplanade
Sydney, NSW
2088

Website

https://www.wyargine.org.au/

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