Cape Woolamai Rocks

Rising from the southeastern tip of Phillip Island, Cape Woolamai is a breathtaking place to visit. Its dramatic orange granite cliffs and aquamarine bays are only part of the story. As a nature reserve, it’s also a haven for wildlife, from seabirds wheeling overhead to whales cruising offshore.

Ancient Rock, Living Colour

Cape Woolamai’s striking beauty begins with its geology. The granite here is around 360 million years old, among the oldest on Phillip Island. Iron-rich minerals and colourful lichens give the cliffs their vivid orange, green and silver hues.

As the granite weathers, it forms fine pale sand that lines the bays. This light seabed turns the water a brilliant aquamarine, a coastal spectacle like no other.

A Nesting Haven and Wildlife Refuge

Beyond its cliffs, Cape Woolamai is teeming with life. The surrounding dunes and coastal scrub provide vital habitat for native and migratory species. Birds nest in rocky ledges, thick vegetation, and even burrows beneath shrubs.

Wallabies graze among the dune grasses. Echidnas forage through undergrowth, and reptiles like the copperhead snake and blue-tongue lizard bask on sunlit rocks or hunt through the bush. It’s a landscape quietly alive with activity.

Birdwatchers on our cruises often spot a variety of seabirds. In spring and summer, tens of thousands of short-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds) return from the Pacific to breed. Cormorants, crested terns, gannets, and oystercatchers patrol the coast.

Birds of prey are common too. Wedge-tailed eagles soar above the cliffs, while falcons and kestrels scan the dunes. Black-shouldered kites and little eagles also make appearances in this rugged coastal theatre.

Cape Woolamai’s waters are just as rich. In winter, humpback and southern right whales pass close by, occasionally joined by orcas.

Australian fur seals often lounge on the rocks or splash through the shallows. Pods of common and bottlenose dolphins are regular visitors, sometimes riding the bow waves of our boats.

A Place Worth Protecting

Cape Woolamai is where ancient geology meets vibrant ecosystems. It’s a living reminder of how land shapes life and why protecting these places matters.

Next time you’re walking the clifftop trail or cruising past by boat, pause and take it all in. This is a story millions of years in the making, still being told by the wildlife that calls it home.