File:Ningaloo Coast and Lake Macleod, Western Australia (MODIS 2021-10-01).jpg

English: On September 30, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of far western Western Australia.

The Ningaloo Coast sits between the deep blue waters of the East Indian Ocean and the ochre-colored arid inland of the Gascoyne region. A UNESCO World Heritage Site spans 604,500 hectares of marine and coastline, including one of the longest near-shore reefs on Earth. Close to the reef, the land features an extensive karst system with a network of underground caves, conduits, and groundwater systems. The wide range of habitat supports exceptional biodiversity. The reef alone supports more than 300 coral species, along with 700 reef fish species, 650 mollusk species, 600 crustacean species, more than 1,000 species of marine algae, 155 sponge species and 25 species of echinoderms. The flooded cave systems house many rare aquatic species not found anywhere else in the southern hemisphere, while the open waters draw large gatherings of whale sharks and an estimated 10,000 sea turtle nests annually. The region has also been designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.

Another fascinating feature found in this image is Lake Mcleod, the western-most salt lake in Australia. Roughly 240 km (149 mi) long and 40 km (25) wide, it is surrounded by a bright white salt flat that is easily seen from space. The lake and accompanying salt flat sit in a depression that is about 1 meter (3 feet) below sea level. Without inflow from any rivers, Lake Mcleod is filled by scant rainfall (about 9 inches a year on average) and through sub-sea level seeps and springs by seawater from the Indian Ocean. There is also no outflow channel, so water leaves the lake through evaporation.