Discovery Bay (Australia) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Discovery Bay
West Victoria Coast, Bridgewater, Cape Nelson, Portland, Point Danger
Discovery Bay Location in Australia
Location	Eastern South Australia and western Victoria
Coordinates	38°03′S 140°52′E / 38.050°S 140.867°E / -38.050; 140.867
Type	An open oceanic embayment
Primary inflows	Glenelg River, Bridgewater Lakes
Primary outflows	Southern Ocean
Basin countries	Australia
Average depth	30–60 m (98–197 ft)
Shore length1	70 km (43 mi)
Frozen	never
Settlements	Port MacDonnell
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Discovery Bay is an open oceanic embayment lying along the coast of eastern South Australia and western Victoria in south-eastern Australia.

Location and features

Facing the Southern Ocean, Discovery Bay extends approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Cape Northumberland, near Port MacDonnell, South Australia in the northwest, to Cape Bridgewater in the southeast, 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Portland in western Victoria. Cape Northumberland is the southernmost point of mainland South Australia. The Glenelg River is the principal inflow and enters the bay near the town of Nelson.

The bay was named by explorer Thomas Mitchell when he came down the river on 20 August 1836.

The South Australian section of the bay’s coastline is protected by the Lower South East Marine Park while the Victorian section of the coast is protected in the Discovery Bay Coastal Park. The waters at the eastern end of the bay, adjacent to Cape Bridgewater, are protected by the Discovery Bay Marine National Park.