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| The Busselton Jetty and Underwater Observatory |
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Imagine walking nearly two kilometres out into the ocean, and then descending 8 metres to the seabed, to find yourself immersed in a world of colourful aquatic life. Well... not quite. From April 2009, the Jetty was closed from the 200 metre mark, due to some very dodgy wooden pylons. |
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The Busselton Jetty and Interpretive Centre. |
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Construction of the Busselton Jetty commenced in 1853, to establish a docking platform for visiting American whaling ships. A more substantial structure was built in 1865, as the shipping trade had increased. Horse drawn trucks were originally used to shift cargo between the mainland. Timber and farm products were hauled out to the ships. Goods and passengers were then collected to be returned to the mainland. |
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Visitors in the Underwater Observatory. |
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It was a 1841 metre walk
out to the end, and it felt even |
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Prior to the 2009 closure, the jetty was 1841 metres long, and took about 25 minutes to walk at a leisurely pace. These days Usain Bolt could reach the end in a paltry 19.30 seconds. The Busselton Jetty was once used by fisherpersons, power walkers, and tourists visiting the Underwater Observatory. Today it is mainly used by sea gulls, and people wanting to walk 200 metres. |
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Reef fish rounding a jetty pylon. |
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Tickets to the Underwater Observatory were once purchased at the Interpretive Centre, located at the entrance to the jetty. If you forgot to pre-purchase your ticket, Life On Perth estimated you had to complete an impressive 7.364 km's of jetty walking to set things right. That excluded any swimming components if you fell off. |
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School fish in a hurry to class. |
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The
Underwater Observatory is a 9.5 metre diameter chamber that descends 8
metres to the seabed. Viewing windows are located at various
levels on the way down, allowing visitors to marvel at the colour of the
aquatic life. Being located in the open ocean, anything could swim
into view.
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Scuba diver lurking around the jetty pylons. |
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| Diver annoying some school fish. | Viewing decks are located on all levels. |
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More than 300 different species of marine life have been recorded beneath the jetty. Bright coral growth would not normally occur this far south, as the water is generally too cold at these latitudes (33 degrees south). However the Leeuwin Current brings a band of warm water down south, which encourages a rich diversity of marine life. |
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Bright coral on a jetty pylon at the cool and somewhat trendy, latitude of 33 degrees south. |
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Copyright © 2009 LifeOnPerth.com |