Shark Bay is one of only two places in the world where living marine stromatolites exist. These living fossils contain microbes similar to those found in 3,500 million year old rocks - the earliest record of life on earth. As such, the stromatolites provide a record of local environmental changes.

 

Stroll along the boardwalk, read about the history of Stumpy's stromatolite family and take in the biology of these ancient organisms.

Shell Beach, as the name implies, is not your everyday sand beach. Instead, it's a beach made of trillions of tiny shells, all from one type of animal. The shell, known as the Hamelin Cockle, lives in prolific numbers in the area because of the super salty water. The discarded shells have heaped into massive piles up to 10m thick! It is a sight to behold; tonnes of bleached white shells forming a beach up to 1km wide and many kilometres long!

 

This beautiful shoreline gives way to crystal clear water of the most intense greens and blues.

 

Eagle Bluff is one of the best places in Shark Bay to view marine life. The shallow waters of the Shark Bay Marine Park below the boardwalk are teeming with life including rays, turtles, sharks and the occasional dugong, especially in the summer months.

 

There are excellent views of two small limestone islands, once mined for guano and now important bird breeding colonies, and marine life that frequents the inshore waters.

 

On a clear day you get excellent vistas across Shark Bay to the western peninsula and Edel Land. Interpretive signs along the boardwalk explain the significance of the area.

For everything there is to know about Shark Bay and the World Heritage Area, visit the Shark Bay Discovery Centre.  Essentially a one-stop informative display covering all of Shark Bay's natural and cultural features, this centre is a must-see for every visitor to the area.

 

The Centre is located in the township of Denham and brings the World Heritage story together with state-of-the-art displays, including soundscapes, historical and contemporary film footage, interactive multimedia and objects of rare scientific and historical significance.

 

For more information about the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre, click here.

Almost perfectly circular in shape, Little Lagoon was once a land-locked birrida (gypsum pan) that was inundated by the sea several thousand years ago. This pristine waterway is a natural nursery for several fish species. The waters are a marine recreation zone that allows recreational fishing but prohibits the use of nets.

 

A popular spot for fishing, swimming, canoeing and kite-boarding, the lagoon has facilities that include shade shelters and barbecues around the lagoon shore. Close by there is a viewing platform and disabled fishing platform over the narrow channel linking the lagoon to the sea.

 

Located within the stunning Francois Peron National Park, the Peron Heritage Precinct provides an insight into how life was when the park was a working sheep station. A self guided walk trail around the precinct explores the history of the area, visiting the shearing shed, shearer's quarters and stock yards, with signs explaining the station's interesting history along the way.

 

A small interpretive centre depicts stories of Indigenous inhabitants, European colonisation and current day conservation programs such as Project Eden. The artesian hot tub is a popular spot to relax and soak in the hot artesian waters that originally supplied vital water to the station's stock. A barbecue and lawns are provided for picnicking.

Monkey Mia is world famous for its dolphin interaction experience, a rare encounter with wild animals that has become a major tourism attraction.

In an amazing wildlife ritual that has been going for over 40 years, a small number of dolphins come ashore at Monkey Mia almost every day to the delight of patient onlookers. These bottlenose dolphins are fed a small amount of fish up to three times a day between about 8am and 12pm. Department of Environment and Conservation staff supervise the feeding and ensure the wellbeing of the animals is maintained.

 

The chance to see dolphins is almost guaranteed and days when these wild dolphins do not visit the shore are rare.