It located near Melbourne Marine National Park "Port Phillip", who is 35, 8 sq. km. the waters of the Gulf of the same name between the peninsulas and Mornington Bellarin. The park consists of six separate clusters: Swan Bay, Mud Island Aylendz, capes Lonsdale and Nepean, artificially created to strengthen at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, called "Eye of the Bishop," and popular with divers to deepen the seabed "Ports Hole."

From ancient times, the territory of Port Phillip Bay is a popular holiday destination among residents of Melbourne and other nearby cities, which makes it a human-induced pressures on vulnerable marine ecosystems. In addition, highly developed in the Gulf of shipping, which also adversely affects the wildlife of these places. In 2002, to protect the inhabitants of the waters of the Gulf, and for the rational use of recreational resources was created marine national park "Port Phillip."

Among the ecosystems of the park, taken under protection of the state - the vast underwater "meadows", covered with seaweed, rocky reefs located in the intertidal zone, sandy beaches and the habitat of deep sea animals. Here you can find various kinds of herons, waterfowl and seabirds, and Australian fur seals, bottlenose dolphins, a huge number of species of fish and marine invertebrates. In the park there are several places of historical, archaeological and cultural value.

Some areas of the park, such as Swan Bay and Mud Island Aylendz also are protected by the international Ramsar Convention as wetlands of particular importance for migratory birds.

Interesting landscape of the park. The aforementioned recess seabed "Ports Hole" - is part of a flooded valley of the Yarra River, sharply going down to a depth of 32 meters, while the depth of the surrounding barely 12 meters. This area is characterized by an abundance of fish and variety of algae, sponges and corals. Ports have chosen Hole and divers of all kinds, regularly conducting dives here.

5 km from the town of Portsoy located the so-called "Bishop's Eye" - strengthening the foundation of the unfinished at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. He began to build in 1880, knocking chunks of blue sandstone shelf as long as it formed a horseshoe-shaped reef. Soon, however, the construction stopped, since it turns out that to protect the entrance to the Gulf and navigable canals enough weapons in the fortresses at the nearby Swan Island and Fort Kvinsklif and Nepean. Today, this artificial reef is a navigation beacon. In addition, the reef is a major destination for Australian gannets which nest on its stones. It also arranged for the night white-breasted cormorants and get their food ordinary Turnstone.

South shore of Swan Bay attracts hunters from around the world: it is believed that one of the coastal caves hidden treasure pirate Benito Bonito, nicknamed "Bloody Sword". They say it was here that he put mined the western coast of America the gold before he was caught and hanged.