Five Islands nature tour returns with UNESCO endorsement

The Five Islands Eco Tour has received endorsement from UNESCO for its second consecutive year following a landmark 2025 season.

The Abyss Project's 90-minute cruise around the Five Islands Nature Reserve encourages participants to engage with marine conservation and inspires stewardship through sightseeing and education. Showcasing the biodiversity of the Illawarra’s protected marine environments.

Abyss Project founder and marine biologist Nathalie Simmonds is excited to continue the tours after a successful first season.

“Highlights from (2025) included consistent whale encounters across all departures, along with sightings of albatross species, seabirds, dolphins and Australian fur seals,” Nathalie says.

“I’m focused on educating the public about the biodiversity of the region and hoping to have them feel deeply and personally connected to the ocean backyard,

“How they can get involved in long-term protection and sustainability of the marine environment – that’s my personal hope for the season.”

The Five Islands Nature Reserve is a gathering place for marine life during their winter migration, and the eco tour collects and shares data on this wildlife, contributing to studying and conserving the animals and their island environment.

“All the data we collect gets distributed, and if we continue to come back every single year, we'll have this beautiful snapshot of what's going on, on the Five Islands and where they may need help,” Nathalie says.

Importance of the Five Islands

Nathalie and her team last year backed a plan to add two new protected zones – a 123-hectare sanctuary around Flinders Islet, and a 1263-hectare special purpose zone around the other four islands. The Five Islands Reserve is 26 hectares in size.

This proposal was rejected after community consultation and opposition from recreational fishing stakeholders, but there is an opportunity for a review.

“Hopefully as we continue to collect this data, it really shows how significantly important the Five Islands are to be included in a marine protected area,” Nathalie says.

“Hopefully that has backing from the public – to see it move forward once it comes back into review in the next year or two.

“A new assessment process is understood to be in its early stages and may again consider areas including the Five Islands region. At this stage, no formal proposal, draft plan, or public consultation documents have been released.”

The plans were part of the 30 by 30 campaign, which aims for 30 per cent protection of marine areas by 2030 to hit the UN ocean conservation goal.

Celebrate the Ocean Decade

The UNESCO Ocean Decade (2021-2030) is a global initiative to stimulate marine science and generate knowledge.

Coordinated by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), it unites scientists, governments, and industries around the vision of "the science we need for the ocean we want".

The islands give shelter to many species of migratory birds, creating a great spectacle for the tours and valuable subject to study.

“So some of the species that we saw last year, like the sooty oystercatcher is a very vulnerable species in New South Wales and the South Coast, and some of the highest numbers of breeding pairs are found on the five islands,” Nathalie says.

“We were able to see a really beautiful snapshot of how many breeding pairs we had on the island at times that weren't previously monitored.

“So that for me is extremely satisfying and exciting to continue.”

The first two ecotour departures have already sold out and remaining dates are in high demand. The tours run from June 20 to the end of October for the 2026 season, departing from Port Kembla Harbour.

Bookings can be made here.