Escape Island

{{Short description|Island of Western Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}} {{Infobox islands | name = Escape Island | image_name = Escape Island and lighthouse, Jurien Bay, Western Australia, September 2023 04.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Escape Island and lighthouse seen from Jurien Bay | image_map = {{maplink |frame=yes |plain=yes |frame-align=center |frame-width=220 |frame-height=220 |text=Escape Island is an island near Jurien Bay, Western Australia |zoom=14 |type=shape |stroke-colour=#C60C30 |stroke-width=3 |title=Escape Island }} | location = Indian Ocean | coordinates = {{coord|30|20|03|S|114|59|05|E|display=inline,title|region:AU_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki}} | length_km =  | length_footnotes = | width_km =  | width_footnotes = | coastline_km =  | coastline_footnotes = | elevation_m = | elevation_footnotes = | highest_mount = | country = {{flag|Australia}} | country_admin_divisions_title = State | country_admin_divisions = Western Australia | country_admin_divisions_title_1 = LGA | country_admin_divisions_1 = Shire of Dandaragan }} '''Escape Island''' is an island near Jurien Bay in Western Australia. It is located within the Jurien Bay Marine Park and part of the Escape Island Nature Reserve.<ref name=MarineCAPAD22 >{{cite web |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/capad2022-marine-wa.xlsx |title=Marine CAPAD 2022 WA summary |author= |website=www.dcceew.gov.au/ |publisher=Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |access-date=27 September 2023}}</ref><ref name=CAPAD22 >{{cite web |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/capad2022-terrestrial-wa.xlsx |title=Terrestrial CAPAD 2022 WA summary |author= |website=www.dcceew.gov.au/ |publisher=Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |access-date=27 September 2023}}</ref>

==Description== The island has an area of {{convert|27.33|ha|acre|0}}, is located {{convert|5.0|km|mi|0}} from the mainland, at the southern end of Jurien Bay, and has a maximum elevation of {{convert|12|m|ft|0}}.<ref name=Turq/>

The island is part of the Turquoise Coast islands nature reserve group, a chain of 40 islands spread over a distance of {{convert|150|km|mi|0}}.<ref name=Turq>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/images/documents/parks/management-plans/decarchive/turquoise_coast_final.pdf|title=Turquoise Coast islands nature reserves management plan|year=2004|accessdate=6 December 2015|publisher=Government of Western Australia}}</ref>

==Lighthouse== {{main|Escape Island Lighthouse}}

==Geology== The islands were formed approximately 10,000 years ago after large fluctuations in sea levels caused erosion on large areas of the continental shelf during periods of glaciation. Large parallel sand dunes then formed and hardened into limestone, forming islands, most of which have been separated from the mainland for 6,500 years.<ref name=Turq/>

Well preserved Tamala limestone geological features can be found on the islands, including the fragile fossil root networks known as rhizoliths that are found on Escape Island.<ref name=Turq/>

==Fauna== The Jurien Bay skink is found on the island, inhabiting the crevices in the limestone rocks. The bull skink is also found but lives in shallow burrows in the sandy soil. King's skinks are also found on the island but tend to inhabit the petrel burrows that are also found on the island.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/eba674a5-b220-4ef1-9f3a-b9ff3f08a959/files/survey-guidelines-reptiles.doc|title=Survey guidelines for Australia's threatened reptiles|accessdate=8 December 2015|publisher=Department of EnVironment}}</ref>

In 1999, 40 dibblers that were bred at Perth Zoo were released on the island under the wildlife recovery program Western Shield.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Court/1999/10/40-Dibblers-to-be-released-on-to-Escape-Island-in-Jurien-Bay.aspx|title=40 Dibblers to be released on to Escape Island in Jurien Bay|date=7 October 1999|accessdate=7 December 2015|work=Media Statement|publisher=Government of Western Australia|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208125815/https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Court/1999/10/40-Dibblers-to-be-released-on-to-Escape-Island-in-Jurien-Bay.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Moro, Dorian | title=Translocation of captive-bred dibblers Parantechinus apicalis (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) to Escape Island, Western Australia | journal=Biological Conservation | date=2003-01-01 | volume=111 | issue=3 | page=305 | publisher=Research Online | doi=10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00296-3 | bibcode=2003BCons.111..305M | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/38452426 | accessdate=8 December 2015 | url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==See also== {{stack|{{Portal|Western Australia|Engineering}}}} * List of islands of Western Australia

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Islands of the Wheatbelt (Western Australia) Category:Nature reserves in Western Australia Category:Turquoise Coast (Western Australia) Category:Jurien Bay Marine Park