WORLD HERITAGE AREAS:

SHARK BAY: Western Australia
World Heritage Area

Go to Wilkins Tourist Maps Index

The shallow waters of Shark Bay, west of the highway between Geraldton and Carnarvon, and centred around Denham, are alive with marine life. The vast seagrass floor of the bay is home to Dugong and countless species of fish. Manta Rays, turtles and whales can all be seen and at Monkey Mia opposite Denham on the Peron Peninsula, the famous dolphins come in to interact with visitors.
At the Hamelin Pool in the south of the bay, the 'Stromatolites of Hamelin Pool', are among the oldest fossils of life on earth. These microscopic organisms concentrate and recycle nutrients which combine with sedimentary grains to form mushroom shaped towers.
The area was named Shark Bay by William Dampier in his explorations of 1699, and the first contact with the coast, at Cape Inscription on Dirk Hartog Island by the Dutch Captain of that name, occurred in 1616, 152 years before Captain Cook claimed the eastern coast.
The area contains 10 species of mammals, 98 species of reptiles and over 100 of birds. The Shark Bay area has the longest wildflower season of any part of Western Australia and has over 700 species of flowering plants.
Shark Bay is a very special place, as its World Heritage listing attests. It is just over 700km. north of Perth and is accessible from Perth by road or from Geraldton which has daily flights from Perth.

Information is available from the
Shark Bay Tourist Centre
83 Knight Tce. Denham. W.A. 6537
Phone and Fax: 08 9948 1253
The Centre is open 7 Days from 8am to 6pm.

Department of Conservation and Land Management
67 Knight St. Denham W.A. 6537
Ph (099) 48 1208. Fax: 08 9948 1024