Marine life to be live streamed

The eco-tourism industry leader Busselton Jetty enjoyed improvements this week as it launched an upgraded Underwater Discovery Centre.

Busselton Jetty environmental manager Sophie Teede said the upgrade was funded by the State Government’s Regional Economic Development Grant program through the South West Development Commission.

“The total value of the grant was $150,000 and the jetty association has put in half of that,” she said.

“The whole interpretation upgrade features written content on the walls, there’s also mechanical interpretation for kids to be interactive with, as well as using technology.”

The upgrade includes digital projections on the walls to present the story of the jetty and virtual reality experiences for visitors.

Ms Teede said a positive to come out of COVID-19 restrictions was the ability to install the upgrades.

“It enabled us to do this without having to close the observatory for three weeks during peak season,” she said.

South West MLC Adele Farina said the upgrades would further elevate the visitor experience at the award-winning attraction.

“We all know COVID-19 has had an extreme impact on our region, especially our tourism industry, including the Busselton Jetty and local South West businesses,” she said.

“I encourage South West residents to become tourists in our own region during this time ... by supporting our tourism and hospitality industries.”

An underwater streaming camera has been installed to live stream the unique ecosystem.

The Busselton Jetty team hopes to create a living underwater classroom zooming in on interesting marine life.

It is expected education and tourism will see a boost once the camera is operational.