Pulu Keeling National Park
Pulu Keeling National Park is one of Australia's smallest national parks and yet a place of international significance. An isolated coral atoll, it is part of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia's most remote island territory lying almost 2000 kilometres northwest of Perth in the Indian Ocean. the park consists of North Keeling Island, which is just 1.2 square kilometres of land, and a marine area extending 1.5 kilometres from the shore.
'Pulu' is the Cocos-Malay word for island and 'Keeling' was the first European to see the island in 1609.
Pulu Keeling's very remoteness has helped maintain its pristine environment and rich biodiversity. The forests and other flora are examples of the original vegetation of the region, and include a number of species found nowhere else in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Marine diversity
One of the world's most pristine coral reefs, the clear waters surrounding North Keeling island is home to a stunning array of fish, and dolphins, marine turtles and other marine species. It is a divers paradise.
Unique birdlife
Pulu Keeling National Park is an internationally significant seabird rookery and is listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
History
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands have held a special place in the literature on coral atolls because they represent the only atoll that Charles Darwin visited, and they played a central role in his discussion of his theory of coral reef development.