ISS036-E-28444 Click the photo number to access all resolutions available and the database record.
A small, vegetated island and shallow sand bars of the Great Sandy Strait are visible in this astronaut photograph from the International Space Station. A small, bright white exposure of sand is visible above the water level near the center of the image, while submerged sands appear as flowing, bright blue ribbons.
Hervey Bay was once a major freighting center for the sugar cane industry, but now the local economy is largely based on tourism, with whale watching a popular attraction. The estuary provides habitat for breeding fish, crustaceans, turtles, and other sea life, as well as a wide variety of birds—including wading species such as Eastern Curlews, Bat-tailed Godwits, and Pied Oystercatchers. Nearby Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island and a World Heritage site.
