| Type: | protected |
| Bales Beach Aquatic Reserve | |
| State: | sa |
| Iucn Category: | II |
| Coordinates: | -36.0005°N 137.3547°W |
| Relief: | yes |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Nearest Town Or City: | Vivonne Bay. |
| Area: | 7.3 |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Established: | after 1971 |
| Established Footnotes: | [2] |
| Abolished: | 20 October 2016 |
| Managing Authorities: | Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) |
| Footnotes: | Coordinates Nearest town[3] |
Bales Beach Aquatic Reserve was a marine protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in waters off the south coast of Kangaroo Island immediately adjoining and including the intertidal zone within the locality of Seal Bay whose full extent is occupied by the Seal Bay Conservation Park.[3]
It was declared after 1971 for the purpose of ‘the protection of a major breeding colony of the Australian sea lion’. The collection or the removal of any marine organism was prohibited within the reserve. The aquatic reserve which immediately adjoined the Seal Bay Aquatic Reserve extents eastward for a distance of about 5km (03miles) Bay and also extends seaward a distance of about 1nmi. It has an area of 7.3km2. While it was managed in conjunction with the Seal Bay Aquatic Reserve, it was gazetted as a separate aquatic reserve.[1] [2] [4] On 20 October 2016, it was abolished.[5]
Since 2012, it was located within the boundaries of a “habitat protection zone” within the Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park.[6]
The aquatic reserve was classified as an IUCN Category II protected area.[1]