Shark Bay

A World Heritage bay where wild dolphins visit the shore at Monkey Mia every day, with Shell Beach, ancient stromatolites and dugong habitat.

Shark Bay lies on the central-west coast of Western Australia, at the westernmost point of the Australian mainland, about 830 km from Perth. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, it was one of the first places in Australia to meet all four natural criteria. Two peninsulas divide the bay into shallow waters holding one of the world's largest seagrass beds, home to around 10,000 dugongs as well as bottlenose dolphins, turtles, manta rays and sharks. In the shallow, hypersaline waters of Hamelin Pool grow stromatolites, one of the oldest forms of life on Earth.

Visitors base themselves in the small town of Denham. Turn off the North West Coastal Highway at the Overlander Roadhouse onto the World Heritage Drive, passing Hamelin Pool's stromatolites, Shell Beach, Eagle Bluff lookout and Little Lagoon before reaching Denham; about 25 km further north-east is Monkey Mia, where wild dolphins swim to the shore each morning to be fed. The northern part of the peninsula is François Peron National Park, where red dunes, white beaches and turquoise water make a striking contrast; its northern section is accessible only by high-clearance 4WD.

The best time to visit is Apr–Oct (the southern autumn, winter and spring), when temperatures are pleasant; Jul–Oct is the time for dugongs and migrating humpback whales; Dec–Feb is hot and windy, with lots of flies. Getting there: Denham's airport (Shark Bay Airport) has direct flights from Perth, taking about 2 hours; driving from Perth takes around 9–10 hours, usually split over two days along the coast, and can be combined with Kalbarri and Ningaloo Reef. Plan on 2–3 days, including one morning at Monkey Mia and a day touring the national park by 4WD or heading out on a boat. A WA Parks Pass is required for the national and marine parks; fuel stations and supermarkets are found only in Denham, so stock up on supplies and water.

Top sights

• Monkey Mia – Wild bottlenose dolphins swim into the shallows every day for close encounters with people. It is the most famous experience in Shark Bay.
• Shell Beach – A beach made of billions of small white shells piled up, stretching about 60 km and up to about 10 m deep.
• Hamelin Pool Stromatolites – Living stromatolites, among the oldest life forms on Earth, a “living fossil” of a 3.5-billion-year evolutionary history.
• Francois Peron National Park (Cape Peron) – A peninsula national park where red dunes, white beaches and blue waters meet; sharks and dugongs are often seen from the cliff-top lookout…
• Peron Homestead & Hot Tub – An old sheep station inside the national park with a 40°C artesian hot spring pool, reachable even in two-wheel-drive vehicles.
• Big Lagoon – A shallow lagoon ringed by red dunes, a popular spot for kayaking, birdwatching and camping that requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle to rea…
• Eagle Bluff – A timber boardwalk on a sea cliff overlooks clear shallow waters, where sharks, rays and turtles are often seen swimming below.
• Shark Bay Ocean Park Aquarium – A family-run marine aquarium offering guided tours that cover shark feeding and the marine life of Shark Bay.
• Little Lagoon – A round lagoon north of Denham with calm, shallow water and white sand, ideal for picnics, swimming and watching sunsets.
• Denham Foreshore – The westernmost town on mainland Australia, with a seafront promenade, jetty, shell-brick church and spectacular sunsets.
• Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre – Denham's visitor center and museum, with interactive exhibits on the World Heritage site, Indigenous culture and maritime history.
• Dirk Hartog Island National Park – The island where Europeans first landed in Australia in 1616, a wild island within the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, suited to 4WD camping…
• Steep Point – Mainland Australia's westernmost point, where red cliffs drop straight into the Indian Ocean; a destination for 4WD touring and cliff fishi…

Where to eat

• Old Pearler Restaurant – A small restaurant built from coquina shell rock from Shell Beach, said to be the world's only one. It is known for sea…
• Boughshed Restaurant – A restaurant on Monkey Mia beach, just metres from the dolphin feeding area, serving local seafood for breakfast, lunch…
• Oceans Restaurant – A clifftop restaurant beside the Shark Bay Ocean Park Aquarium, with a terrace overlooking the ocean park and a well-re…

Itineraries

• Coral Coast: Perth to Exmouth – Head north along the Indian Ocean, linking desert pinnacles, red gorges, wild dolphins, and Ningaloo Reef, with a one-w…
• Perth to Broome: Coast & Karijini Gorges – Head north along the West Coast, transition from Ningaloo to the gorges of Pilbara, and arrive at the gateway to the Ki…