Bays in Australia: The Complete List

Australia, an island continent of immense proportions, boasts a coastline that stretches over 35,000 kilometers, a canvas of dramatic cliffs, pristine beaches, and sheltered coves. These natural indentations, shaped by millennia of ocean and weather, are not just scenic wonders but vital ecosystems and historical landmarks, offering unique insights into the country’s geography and marine biodiversity.

From the rugged shores of Tasmania’s Adventure Bay to the iconic curves of Wineglass Bay, Australia’s coastline is dotted with countless stunning inlets. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover 57 Bays in Australia, each detailed with its State/Territory, Size (km²), and Key Features, which you’ll find below.

What is the difference between a bay, a gulf, and a bight?

While often used interchangeably for coastal indentations, these terms describe features of varying scale and shape. A bay is generally a broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inward, typically smaller than a gulf or bight. A gulf is a much larger and more deeply indented arm of the sea, often almost surrounded by land, like Australia’s Spencer Gulf. A bight, such as the Great Australian Bight, is a large, open bay that is less curved or enclosed than a gulf, often characterized by a long, sweeping curve in the coastline.

Which Australian bay is considered the largest?

Determining the “largest” can depend on the criteria, such as area or coastline length. However, the Great Australian Bight is often cited as the most significant indentation along the continent’s southern coast due to its immense scale and distinctive sweeping curve. While technically a bight, it functions similarly to a very large, open bay and is globally recognized for its unique marine environment and dramatic cliff faces.

Bays in Australia

Images and Descriptions

Port Jackson

Australia’s most famous natural harbour, Port Jackson is the aquatic heart of Sydney. Its deep, sheltered waters and iconic landmarks make it one of the most beautiful and busiest waterways in the world.

Jervis Bay

Renowned for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and stunningly white beaches, Jervis Bay is a protected marine sanctuary. It’s a paradise for swimming, diving, and watching the resident pods of dolphins play.

Port Phillip Bay

This massive and shallow bay is the centre of life for Melbourne and its suburbs. It offers everything from city beaches and sailing to unique marine sanctuaries like the one for weedy sea dragons.

Moreton Bay

A vast and ecologically important bay that serves as a natural playground for Brisbane. It’s a protected marine park, sheltering a rich diversity of wildlife and a collection of large sand islands perfect for exploring.

Shark Bay

An area of immense ecological significance, Shark Bay is a wonderland of natural treasures. It’s famous for its friendly wild dolphins, vast seagrass beds, and ancient stromatolites, some of the oldest life on Earth.

Wineglass Bay

An iconic and breathtakingly beautiful bay in Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park. Its perfect crescent of white sand and turquoise water, framed by granite peaks, makes it one of Australia’s most photographed landscapes.

Spencer Gulf

One of two immense sea inlets in South Australia, Spencer Gulf is a vital economic and ecological zone. It is globally famous for the unique annual breeding aggregation of giant Australian cuttlefish near Whyalla.

Hervey Bay

Known internationally as a premier destination for watching humpback whales, Hervey Bay’s calm waters serve as a resting place for whales and their calves during their annual migration.

Botany Bay

A bay of great historical importance to modern Australia, where James Cook first landed in 1770. Today, it’s a hub of commerce and industry, but also offers parks, beaches, and historical sites.

Geographe Bay

A wide, curving bay in Western Australia’s southwest, famous for its exceptionally calm, protected waters. It’s a popular family holiday spot, anchored by the historic 1.8-kilometre-long Busselton Jetty.

Great Oyster Bay

Located on Tasmania’s stunning east coast, this large, scenic bay is sheltered from the open ocean. It’s renowned for its world-class aquaculture, particularly the delicious oysters that take its name.

Gulf St Vincent

The easternmost of South Australia’s two great gulfs, its shores are home to the city of Adelaide. The gulf is a popular spot for fishing, boating, and enjoying the long sandy beaches of the capital city.

Lucky Bay

Famous for its resident population of friendly kangaroos that often relax on the squeaky-clean white sand. Located in a spectacular national park, its bright turquoise water completes a picture-perfect scene.

Byron Bay

The bay that gives the iconic town its name is a sweeping arc of golden sand. It’s a haven for surfers, a fantastic spot to watch for migrating whales, and is watched over by Australia’s most easterly lighthouse.

Twofold Bay

Located near the town of Eden, this deep bay has a rich history tied to the whaling industry. It’s a beautiful and dramatic part of the Sapphire Coast, now popular for whale watching and cruising.

Port Stephens

Often called the “Dolphin Capital of Australia,” this huge bay is larger than Sydney Harbour. It’s a major tourist destination, loved for its pristine waters, towering sand dunes, and abundant marine life.

Western Port Bay

A large tidal bay southeast of Melbourne, it is a site of international importance for its unique marine ecosystems. Unlike the sandy Port Phillip, it is characterized by extensive mudflats and mangrove forests.

Apollo Bay

A beautiful, crescent-shaped bay nestled in the Otway Ranges along the Great Ocean Road. The charming town and its sheltered beach make it a perfect stop for travellers exploring this famous coastal drive.

Roebuck Bay

Located near Broome, this vast bay is a globally significant site for migratory shorebirds. It is also famous for a natural illusion called the ‘Staircase to the Moon’, which occurs during the full moon at low tide.

Trinity Bay

This large, shallow bay is the coastal setting for the city of Cairns. It acts as a primary departure point for countless tours to the Great Barrier Reef and is fringed by important mangrove ecosystems.

Keppel Bay

A wide bay on the Capricorn Coast, Keppel Bay is the launching point for adventures on the beautiful Keppel Islands. Its warm, inviting waters are popular for sailing, fishing, and island-hopping.

Encounter Bay

A bay of historical note where English and French explorers met in 1802, confirming the landmass was a single continent. Today, it’s a popular tourist area known for Granite Island’s penguins and seasonal whale watching.

Coffin Bay

Synonymous with premium oysters, this long system of sheltered bays and inlets is a pristine aquatic environment. The surrounding national park offers rugged cliffs, sand dunes, and abundant wildlife.

Vivonne Bay

Once voted Australia’s best beach, this stunning bay on Kangaroo Island’s south coast features a long, curved stretch of white sand and clear blue water. It’s a popular spot for picnics, surfing, and fishing from the jetty.

Adventure Bay

A large, sheltered bay on Bruny Island with a fascinating history of early European exploration. Besides its beautiful scenery, it is famous for its unique population of white-Bennett’s wallabies.

Port Davey

A remote and untouched marine reserve in Tasmania’s wild southwest, accessible only to the adventurous. It’s a drowned river valley system, offering breathtaking, unspoiled landscapes of dark water and rugged mountains.

Van Diemen Gulf

An enormous and remote gulf between Arnhem Land and the Cobourg Peninsula. Its waters are fed by the rivers of Kakadu National Park and are a prime habitat for saltwater crocodiles and barramundi.

Port Darwin

The large natural harbour that the city of Darwin is built upon. It played a crucial role during WWII and remains a major port. Its extensive mangrove forests are a key feature of its ecosystem.

Bremer Bay

A remote bay that is the gateway to one of Australia’s most remarkable wildlife phenomena. Offshore, the deep Bremer Canyon attracts a large seasonal aggregation of orcas, sperm whales, and other marine life.

Hamelin Bay

A picturesque bay best known for the large, friendly stingrays that frequent the shallows near the beach. Visitors can often see them gliding gracefully in the clear water right at their feet.

Cockburn Sound

A large inlet that serves as a key maritime area for Perth, supporting industry, naval operations, and recreation. It’s also a valuable marine environment, home to bottlenose dolphins and Australian sea lions.

Warnambool Bay

This bay is a critical habitat for southern right whales, which migrate here each winter to calve and nurse their young. A dedicated viewing platform at Logan’s Beach offers fantastic opportunities to see the mothers and calves.

Discovery Bay

A vast and rugged bay stretching from Victoria into South Australia. It is characterized by its high dunes, powerful surf, and a sense of wild, untouched beauty within a protected coastal park.

Turquoise Bay

An aptly named bay near Exmouth, famous for its stunning turquoise water and vibrant coral reef just metres from the shore. It is renowned for its ‘drift snorkel’, where the current carries you over the reef.

Coral Bay

A small, idyllic bay that provides some of the easiest access to the incredible Ningaloo Reef. You can simply walk off the beach and be snorkelling amongst colourful coral and diverse fish within minutes.

King George Sound

One of the finest natural harbours in the southern hemisphere, this sound was the last sight of Australia for many ANZAC troops departing for WWI. It is now a popular spot for whale watching.

Broken Bay

A large bay and drowned river valley just north of Sydney. It’s a boat lover’s paradise, with the expansive waterways of Pittwater and the Hawkesbury River offering endless sheltered coves and beaches to explore.

Batemans Bay

The heart of a bustling tourist region, this bay at the mouth of the Clyde River is famous for its relaxed holiday atmosphere. It is particularly well-regarded for its delicious Clyde River oysters.

Pittwater

A beautiful estuary and waterway north of Sydney, Pittwater is a premier sailing destination. Lined with secluded beaches, tranquil bays, and lush national park, it feels a world away from the nearby city.

Trial Bay

A scenic bay on the mid-north coast, notable for the dramatic ruins of a 19th-century prison on its headland. The bay itself offers a protected beach, perfect for families and swimming.

Macquarie Harbour

Six times the size of Sydney Harbour, this immense and foreboding body of water is a key feature of Tasmania’s west coast. It is known for its dark, tannin-stained waters and the notorious penal colony on Sarah Island.

Storm Bay

The wide, open bay that guards the entrance to Hobart’s Derwent River. Exposed to the Southern Ocean, it’s known for its dramatic coastal scenery and often-turbulent waters, providing a final challenge for the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Cloudy Bay

A wild and spectacular bay on the exposed southern coast of Bruny Island. Facing the vast Southern Ocean, it’s renowned for its powerful surf breaks and remote, windswept beauty.

Pirates Bay

Located on the Tasman Peninsula, this bay is the entry point to some of Tasmania’s most incredible geological wonders. The dramatic coastline features cliffs and sea-carved formations that draw visitors from around the world.

Boston Bay

Considered one of Australia’s largest natural harbours, Boston Bay is the hub of the country’s seafood industry. Port Lincoln, on its shore, is the base for cage-diving with sharks and swimming with sea lions.

Streaky Bay

A beautiful and serene bay that is a popular stop on the Eyre Peninsula. It’s known for its clear, calm waters ideal for fishing and swimming, and the dramatic coastline and rock formations found nearby.

Rapid Bay

A small, stunning bay on the Fleurieu Peninsula, famous among divers for its incredible marine life. The old jetty pylons are a haven for the elusive and beautiful leafy sea dragon.

Fowlers Bay

A small, remote settlement on the far west coast that comes alive in winter as a nursery for southern right whales. Visitors can watch whales from the jetty or take boat tours for a closer look.

Princess Charlotte Bay

A huge, remote, and ecologically pristine bay on the east coast of the Cape York Peninsula. It is a highly productive area for commercial fishing, particularly for prawns, and is fed by several wild rivers.

Shoalwater Bay

A large, undeveloped bay on the Capricorn Coast, primarily used as a military training ground. This restricted access has kept the bay in a near-pristine state, making it a crucial habitat for turtles and dugongs.

Tin Can Bay

A quiet coastal town on a sheltered bay, best known for the opportunity to hand-feed wild Australian humpback dolphins. The calm inlet is also a great place for boating, fishing, and birdwatching.

Horseshoe Bay

The largest and most popular bay on Magnetic Island, offering a beautiful sweep of golden sand. Lined with cafes and bars, it’s a hub for watersports and provides safe swimming within its stinger net during summer.

Blue Mud Bay

A remote bay in Arnhem Land that holds immense cultural and legal significance. A landmark High Court case granted traditional owners exclusive rights over the tidal waters in the area, setting a major precedent.

Bynoe Harbour

A vast and complex natural harbour located just south of Darwin. It is a paradise for anglers, with its labyrinth of mangrove-lined creeks and inlets providing a prime habitat for barramundi and mud crabs.

Port Essington

A large, historic bay within the remote Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. It is the site of the ruins of Victoria Settlement, a failed 19th-century British outpost, offering a glimpse into the challenges of early colonial life.

Corner Inlet

A vast, shallow bay in South Gippsland, recognized as a wetland of international importance. Its intricate network of channels, mudflats, and islands provides a critical habitat for thousands of migratory waterbirds.

Swan Bay

A shallow, sheltered bay near Queenscliff, designated as a marine reserve for its ecological importance. Its extensive seagrass meadows are a vital habitat and feeding ground for numerous species of birds and fish.