The rock formations surrounding Gaze Island are a series of smaller islands and rocks.
Gaze Island is one of 122 islands found in the chain referred to as the Houtman Abrolhos. The region is located off the coast of Western Australia in the Indian Ocean. The islands boast a variety of coral reefs and marine life, and many are essential breeding sites for seabirds in the region.
Danger
The danger surrounding the rock formations as well as the island itself dates back to the initially discovery of the island chain. In 1606, Captain Frederick de Houtman of the Dutch East India Company located the island chain during a routine trade route. Houtman noted the shallow waters surrounding the islands themselves as well as the reefs that hide just below the surface. The danger lies in the lack of mainland on the island, which would provide refuge during a shipwreck or storm.
Geology
Gaze Island itself, as well as some of the other islands in the chain, are composed of coral rubble. The compounding of this rubble makes for a unique color and texture that makes the island interesting to look at as well as distinct in shape. Other, early formations of this island chain are said to be isolated portions of the mainland of Australia that have shifted apart over thousands of years.
Oceanography
To explain how the rock formations and portions of the island developed in the unique way they did, you have to look at the oceanography of the region. The island chain is located 60 miles off the western coast of Australia, and the Indian Ocean lies directly on the edge of the region's continental shelf. As a result, the shelf is relatively shallow (160 feet or less) and level. Less than 3 miles from this region is a shelf break, which dives down an additional 100 feet, making for a drastic change in oceanography.
Currents
Due to the close proximity of the rock formations and the small islands in the region, the currents that surround Gaze Island form a series of small eddies that can make currents move in any direction. This unpredictability is another reason why the region is dangerous to navigate through. The water itself is considered tropical and relatively warm, minimizing the amount of upswelling that occurs near and around the rock formations and Gaze Island itself.
Tags: Gaze Island, rock formations, island chain, Australia Indian, Australia Indian Ocean, Gaze Island itself, Indian Ocean
