Historically the beach and its panorama are reflections of the changes in the last 110 years of Perth's history. The photos and paintings of Cottesloe Beach that are either in collections or published, give tangible evidence of the importance of beach-oriented activities in the Perth community.
Cottesloe Reef is a very popular snorkelling site. The ecosystem extends intermittently approximately 4.5km along the coast, and approximately 1.5km off-shore from Cottesloe. The reef is composed of limestone pinnacles, elevated limestone platforms and watereroded outcrops, with patches of seagrass, kelp beds and sponge gardens. A vast range of aquatic life, including fish, shellfish, crustaceans, weedy seadragons and the rare leafy seadragon, lives in the reef.
