Ningaloo's Nursery Petition

The Xanthe Project

Petition to Protect Ningaloo

Support National Heritage Listing for Exmouth Gulf ‘Ningaloo’s Nursery’, the lifeline to Australia’s iconic Ningaloo Reef.

A note from our Co-founder Sarah Munro.

I visited Ningaloo in Western Australia to create our latest Now You See Me film, sharing my experience diving with whale sharks and manta rays, and exploring its breathtaking coral reef labyrinths. It was unforgettable. But learning that parts of this fragile ecosystem, especially Ningaloo’s nursery, Exmouth Gulf, remain unprotected was heartbreaking.If you share my love for Australia’s oceans, here is one small but powerful thing you can do today.

Urgent Call for the Protection of Exmouth Gulf

Dear Minister,

On behalf of SARAH & SEBASTIAN, and as passionate advocates for Australia’s marine ecosystems, we urge the Federal Government to enact greater environmental protections for Exmouth Gulf, an irreplaceable, yet unprotected, part of Nyinggulu and our nation’s natural heritage.

Earlier this year, we travelled to the Ningaloo Coast to document its extraordinary biodiversity. From kaleidoscopic coral gardens and majestic whale sharks to manta rays, turtles, and the mangrove forests of Exmouth Gulf, this coastline left an indelible mark. As divers, filmmakers, and Australians, we were awed by its beauty and devastated by the stark reality of mass coral bleaching and the growing threat of industrial development in the Gulf.

Exmouth Gulf is not just a neighbour to Ningaloo Reef, it is its ecological lifeline. One of the world’s last intact arid-zone estuaries, it supports endangered species like dugongs and sawfish, and serves as a critical nursery for humpback whales. Together, the reef, the range, and the gulf form a delicate, interconnected system.

Despite its global ecological value and proximity to the World Heritage-listed Reef, the Gulf remains unprotected and under mounting industrial pressure. Without urgent action, we risk irrevocably damaging a keystone marine environment and undoing decades of conservation progress.

We believe the Gulf must receive the same recognition and protection as Ningaloo Reef, grounded in science, led by Traditional Owners, and guided by a long-term vision for Australia’s environmental legacy.

We respectfully urge your office to:

Formally assess Exmouth Gulf for protection under national environmental law;
Support Traditional Owner-led conservation;
Oppose industrial developments that threaten the Gulf’s integrity, including the proposed K+S Saltworks project;
Commit to a long-term conservation strategy for the Reef, Range, and Gulf.

SARAH & SEBASTIAN is committed to amplifying this call. We are joined by a growing community of Australians who believe that protecting Exmouth Gulf is essential to protecting the future of Ningaloo.

There is no time left. We must act now.

Sincerely,

Sarah Munro

Co-Founder & Creative Director