Pelican Lagoon

Saltwater lagoon and birdlife

Pelican Lagoon lies on the north coast of Kangaroo Island and is a saltwater lagoon. Matthew Flinders gave the place its name on 4 April 1802. The name was inspired by the large number of pelicans in the waters and along the neighbouring shores. Its naming history thus points to a feature that continues to define this natural environment: ducks, swans, grebes, herons, egrets, spoonbills, pelicans and oystercatchers are abundant along the shores.

If you enjoy birdwatching, you can look out for different species at the lagoon. In spring and summer, international migratory bird species such as Common Greenshank also visit; Whimbrel or Eastern Curlew are occasionally seen. This seasonal difference may play a role in choosing when to travel if you are particularly interested in migratory birds. For birdwatchers, part of the special appeal lies in this seasonal change.

Nature experiences and access

Visitors to Pelican Lagoon Conservation Park may enjoy low-impact activities that are close to nature. These include birdwatching, bushwalking and kayaking, unless access is expressly prohibited. For families who enjoy spending time outdoors together, these activities offer different ways to experience nature: on foot, on the water or watching the birdlife.

The main access to the park is expected to be via the waters of the lagoon. At the same time, the land areas and islands of Pelican Lagoon Conservation Park are expected to continue to have few visitor facilities. This is important to keep in mind when planning an outing: the park is associated with nature-based activities, but its land areas and islands do not have extensive facilities. If you are considering making Pelican Lagoon a focus of your trip, this information can help you weigh up your interests in nature watching and outdoor activities.

Conservation and history

Pelican Lagoon is probably the oldest marine protected area in South Australia and has been protected there since 1914. Since 2012, the Pelican Lagoon Sanctuary Zone has been part of Encounter Marine Park. Its conservation history therefore goes back considerably further than the establishment of this Sanctuary Zone.

Pelican Lagoon Conservation Park is also connected to a piece of local history: it contains a threshing floor listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. Few threshing floors are listed in South Australia, and only a handful are preserved in good condition; the threshing floor in the park is one of them. General public access to this threshing floor has not yet been made available. This is distinct from access to the Conservation Park: certain nature-based activities are permitted in the park, but general public access to the threshing floor has not yet been made available.

Pelican Lagoon therefore brings together a species-rich coastal landscape, a distinctive conservation history and evidence of earlier land use. If you are choosing holiday accommodation with a particular focus on the natural side of your trip, you can consider the lagoon and its birdlife as an important point of interest. If you also take the history of nature conservation into account when planning your trip, Pelican Lagoon offers a second point of interest.

Discover more places

For more information, see the pages for Parndana, Baudin Beach, Brown Beach, Vivonne Bay, Stokes Bay, Emu Bay, Dudley East and Penneshaw.

For the broader travel overview: Kangaroo Island Council.