Masthead Island

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Masthead Island shoreline

Masthead Island (23°32′S, 151°43′E) is a coral cay located in the southern Great Barrier Reef, 60 kilometres northeast of Gladstone, Queensland. The island is a protected area and forms part of Capricornia Cays National Park. Masthead Island is one of the most undisturbed cays in the National Park because human and feral animal impacts have been rare. The cay covers an area of 0.45 square kilometres and is surrounded by a coral reef that is partially exposed at low-tide.

The island is closed to the public from mid-October to Easter to protect nesting seabirds and turtle hatchlings. At other times the island is open for camping, however there are no facilities provided.

1 History
2 Flora
3 Fauna
4 External links

[edit] History

The explorer Matthew Flinders discovered and named Masthead Island in 1802. Masthead was incorporated into the Capricornia Cays National Park in 1994.

[edit] Flora

The centre of the island is dominated by a dense forest of Pisonia vegetation while pandanus and she-oaks are found around the island fringes.

[edit] Fauna

Masthead Island is an internationally important rookery for green and loggerhead turtles, who come ashore to lay eggs on the island's beaches during spring and summer, from late October to late February. This is a major breeding site for the turtles, the fifth most important in the South Pacific.

The cay also supports a diverse seabird population. The Black Noddy and Wedge-tailed Shearwater are most common, while the Black-naped Tern, Bridled Tern, Silvereye, Roseate Tern and Silver Gull are also regularly seen on the island.

The coral reef around the cay is a habitat for a vast array of marine life, the most common including Angelfish, Parrotfish, Butterflyfish, Sweetlips, Batfish, Sting rays, Bronze whalers, Sea snakes & Stonefish.

Masthead was the discovery ground of an entirely new species of fish, the Masthead Island Pipefish.