Lying at the edge of the Great Victoria Desert on the southern margin of Australia's majestic Nullarbor Plain, Yalata Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), dedicated in 2013, covers 456,300 hectares of coastal dunes, limestone cliffs, sand plains and mallee shrub lands.
Originally occupied by Wirangu and Mirning coastal communities, Yalata's Traditional Owners also comprise Kokata, Antakarinja, Pindiini, and Ngalea western desert peoples. These groups are linked through cultural affiliations and traditional practices.
Surrounded by national parks and reserves, and the Great Australian Bight Marine Park, Yalata forms part of a wider region identified for conservation purposes. Around 20,000 people visit Yalata each year to fish, camp and watch the migration of southern-right whales which arrive from Antarctica between June and October.
Yalata IPA Rangers monitor the large visitor numbers and have constructed platforms and boardwalks to alleviate environmental impacts to the fragile sand dunes and beach areas.