Bunurong Marine National Park, Marine national park near Cape Paterson, Australia

Bunurong Marine National Park is a 2,100-hectare protected marine area about 5 kilometres off the coast of Cape Paterson in South Gippsland, Victoria. It protects intertidal and subtidal rocky reefs, algal gardens and seagrass beds. In the photograph, a broad shelf of tan and grey stone, split by cracks and holding shallow pools of water, runs toward the sea beside a low vegetated cliff and a strip of pale sand.

A major discovery happened in 1903 when the first known dinosaur claw in Australia was found at Eagles Nest Beach. This find made the area significant in Australian paleontology.

The name comes from the Bunurong people who lived along this coast for generations. Shell heaps scattered around the shoreline show how they used the sea's resources and shaped their lives here.

The park has several entry points along the coast, with Cape Paterson caravan park offering a convenient base for visits. Tidal pools and swimming areas are easy to access and you should check weather conditions when planning your trip.

Eagles Nest, a large rock structure at the eastern end of the park, resembles the top half of a map of Australia. At Eagles Nest beach, William Ferguson found Australia's first dinosaur bone, the Cape Paterson Claw, in 1903; over 6,000 bones and teeth have since been excavated, and the Inverloch Shell Museum holds a dinosaur exhibition.