Great Australian Bight

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/great-australian-bight

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is Great Australian Bight?1,160 kilometers (720 miles)
2. Who discovered Great Australian Bight?1627
3. What is the primary marine mammal sanctuary?Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis)
4. What is the key coastal feature?Extensive sea cliffs along the Nullarbor Plain
5. Why do whales visit the Great Australian Bight?From May to October, southern right whales come to give birth and nurse their babies in the shallow, protected waters of the Bight. They stay there because it keeps them safe from predators like orcas and great white sharks.
6. How deep does the Great Australian Bight get?The Bight starts with shallow coastal waters and goes down to more than 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) deep in the abyssal plain. This wide range of depths creates many different habitats.

Embayment: A curved inlet or bay along a coastline, typically larger than a cove.
Bathymetry: The measurement of the depth of water in oceans, seas, or lakes.
Endemic Species: A species native and restricted to a particular place.
Pelagic Zone: The open ocean, away from the coast and seafloor, where large marine animals often live.