Shallow Inlet is a marine inlet, opening onto Waratah Bay on the western side of the Yanakie Isthmus in South Gippsland, Victoria, south-eastern Australia. It lies close to the small holiday communities of Sandy Point and Yanakie, as well as to Wilsons Promontory and the Wilsons Promontory National Park.

Shallow Inlet
A map of Victoria with a mark indicating the location of Shallow Inlet
A map of Victoria with a mark indicating the location of Shallow Inlet
Shallow Inlet
Location in Victoria
LocationWilsons Promontory, South Gippsland, Victoria
Coordinates38°48′28″S 146°08′56″E / 38.80778°S 146.14889°E / -38.80778; 146.14889[1]
Primary outflowsWaratah Bay
Basin countriesAustralia
Frozennever
SettlementsSandy Point; Yanakie

Description

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The inlet is a shallow, curving, 18 km2 tidal embayment with a single channel to the sea. On the seaward side it is enclosed by a barrier of sandy spits, bars and mobile dunes. The extensive intertidal mudflats and areas of sand provide habitat for waders, or shorebirds. Fringing the mudflats are areas of saltmarsh.[2]

Birds

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The inlet has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports over 1% of the world populations of double-banded plovers and red-necked stints, and has supported the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot.[3] Other birds recorded as using the site in significant numbers include eastern curlews, Pacific golden plovers, curlew sandpipers and sanderlings.

Panorama of Shallow Inlet, looking south-east with the hills of Wilsons Promontory in the distance

References

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  1. ^ "Shallow Inlet (VIC)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  2. ^ BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Shallow Inlet. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2011-10-07.
  3. ^ "IBA: Shallow Inlet". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 7 October 2011.