Finding the Fab Five

What are the Fab Five?

The marine parks in waters off South Australia include First Nations' Sea Country and support many fabulous marine species – including the ‘Fab Five’ – Australian sea lions, giant Australian cuttlefish, great white sharks, southern right whales and white-bellied sea eagles.

Australian sea lions

More than 80% of Australian sea lions are found in South Australia

Giant Australian cuttlefish

250,000 Giant Australian Cuttlefish migrate up the Spencer Gulf to breed each year 

Great white sharks

You can go shark-cage diving with white sharks off the coast of Port Lincoln 

Southern right whales

Every Southern right whale has different white patches on their back - like a human's fingerprint!

White-bellied sea eagles

There are less than 100 breeding pairs of White-bellied Sea Eagle left in South Australia 

A team of researchers at the University of Adelaide are working with First Nations peoples, scientists, school groups, Indigenous owners and tour operators to highlight the important relationship between marine parks and the Fab Five species.

Marine parks are essential in conserving marine habitats, and the charismatic marine species that rely on these environments. 

Find out more about the project by exploring the links below; or help us protect our ocean and the marine life that live in it by completing our survey.

Complete the survey

Contact us


Photography: Adventure Bay Charters, Carl Charter and Darryl Cowan