Shark Bay
Gathaagudu
World Heritage Wildlife Bay
On the lands of the Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta people.
schedule 4 min read / Updated Jun 2026
A UNESCO World Heritage site on the far west coast of Australia where the ocean meets the desert, Shark Bay is home to the world's largest and most diverse seagrass meadows, a resident population of wild dolphins that come to shore at Monkey Mia, and the oldest living organisms on earth: the stromatolites of Hamelin Pool.
Shark Bay is located on the westernmost tip of Australia, roughly 830 kilometres north of Perth on the Coral Coast of Western Australia. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1991 and is one of only around 20 sites on earth to meet all four of UNESCO's natural world heritage criteria, a distinction that recognises it as both a natural wonder and a globally significant conservation site. The bay covers more than 23,000 square kilometres of ocean and contains the westernmost point of mainland Australia at Steep Point.
The traditional owners are the Malgana people, who have lived on this country for tens of thousands of years and retain strong cultural links to the bay, particularly to the Monkey Mia area. Dutch sailors first made landfall here in 1616 when Dirk Hartog nailed a pewter plate to a post on Dirk Hartog Island, making it the second recorded European visit to Australia. The plate is now held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and a replica sits on the original site.
Shark Bay has the largest seagrass meadows on earth, covering over 4,800 square kilometres of the seafloor. These meadows support one of the largest populations of dugongs in the world, with an estimated 10,000 dugongs grazing in the bay. The meadows also support significant populations of green and loggerhead turtles, and the bay's calm, shallow, hypersaline waters are among the most productive marine ecosystems in Australia.
Hamelin Pool, at the southern end of the bay, contains the oldest living organisms on earth. Stromatolites are layered rock-like structures built by cyanobacteria, the same ancient single-celled organisms that first filled earth's atmosphere with oxygen around 3.5 billion years ago. The Hamelin Pool stromatolites are not that old, but the species growing here is a direct descendant of the first life on the planet, and seeing them is one of the most profound experiences available to any natural history traveller. A raised boardwalk extends out over the shallow water so visitors can see the living structures up close without damaging them.
Monkey Mia, on the eastern side of the bay, is famous for its wild dolphins. Since the 1960s, a pod of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins has been visiting the beach here to be fed small fish by rangers under a tightly regulated program. The dolphins are wild and come of their own accord, usually in the early morning, and visitors can stand in knee-deep water and watch them swim a few metres offshore. Feeding is strictly controlled by the Department of Biodiversity to ensure the dolphins are not dependent on humans for food.
Shell Beach, on the southern shore, is one of only two beaches in the world made entirely of tiny shells instead of sand. The shells come from the Shark Bay cockle, which has been the dominant mollusc in the hypersaline southern end of the bay for millennia. The beach extends for 70 kilometres and in some sections the shell layer is 10 metres deep. In the past, blocks of the compressed shell were mined and used to build houses in the local town of Denham, and a handful of these historic 'shell brick' buildings still stand.
Francois Peron National Park covers the pastoral station that once sheltered a red desert running into the turquoise bay, and its red sand cliffs meeting the white sand beaches are among the most photographed landscapes on the west coast. Cape Peron, at the northern tip of the peninsula, requires four-wheel-drive access but delivers some of the most dramatic red-and-blue contrast anywhere in Australia.
Denham is the main town in the region and has accommodation ranging from caravan park cabins to the upscale Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort. The bay is accessible year-round but the best months for visiting are April to October when the weather is mild, the humidity is low, and whale sharks, humpback whales and manta rays pass through the area. Summer (December to February) is hot and the coastal winds can be strong, making some of the more exposed activities less pleasant.
Common questions
Things visitors ask about Shark Bay.
Quick answers to help you plan.
Where is Shark Bay and how do I get there?
expand_more
Shark Bay sits on the Gascoyne coast of Western Australia, roughly 830km north of Perth. Most visitors drive the sealed North West Coastal Highway in about 9 to 10 hours, or fly into Shark Bay Airport (near Denham and Monkey Mia) on Rex Airlines from Perth in around 2 hours.
Why is Shark Bay World Heritage listed?
expand_more
UNESCO inscribed Shark Bay in 1991, and it is one of only a handful of places on Earth to satisfy all four natural World Heritage criteria. The 2.2 million hectare property is recognised for its hyper-saline waters, stromatolites, the world's largest seagrass meadows, and populations of dugongs, dolphins and threatened mammals.
Can you still see the Monkey Mia dolphins being fed?
expand_more
Yes. Wild bottlenose dolphins visit the Monkey Mia foreshore most mornings, with ranger-led feeding experiences starting around 7.45am and running up to three times before noon. The experience is free once you have paid the Monkey Mia Reserve entry fee, and rangers select a few visitors each session to help offer fish.
What are the Hamelin Pool stromatolites?
expand_more
Stromatolites are rocky mounds built by microbes using the same photosynthetic technique that helped oxygenate Earth around 3.5 billion years ago, making them the oldest evidence of life on the planet. Hamelin Pool holds the most diverse and abundant living examples in the world, viewed from a boardwalk at the southern end of Shark Bay.
Is Shell Beach really made entirely of shells?
expand_more
Yes. Shell Beach stretches for around 70km and is made up of tiny Fragum cockle shells up to 10 metres deep, with no sand at all. It is one of only two beaches in the world formed entirely from shells, and the hyper-saline water makes it very buoyant for swimming.
Do I need a 4WD for Francois Peron National Park?
expand_more
You need a high-clearance 4WD with low tyre pressures (around 20 psi) to access most of Francois Peron National Park beyond the Peron Heritage Precinct. The park is famous for the contrast of red pindan cliffs, white sand and turquoise water at spots like Cape Peron, Skipjack Point and Big Lagoon.
What can I see from Eagle Bluff?
expand_more
Eagle Bluff is an elevated boardwalk on cliffs south of Denham, looking down into the clear shallows of Denham Sound. From the lookout you can often spot reef sharks, eagle rays, turtles, dugongs and large schools of fish without leaving dry land.
What are the park entry fees for Shark Bay?
expand_more
Francois Peron National Park and the Monkey Mia Reserve each charge a Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions entry fee of around $15 per vehicle (up to 12 people) per day, or about $8 for concession holders. A WA Holiday Park Pass covering 4 weeks of unlimited entry is good value if you plan to visit several parks in the Gascoyne.
Where should I stay in Shark Bay?
expand_more
Most visitors base themselves in Denham, the main town with motels, holiday units, a caravan park and supermarkets, or at the RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort right on the dolphin beach. Denham is about a 25 minute drive from Monkey Mia and a handy launching point for Francois Peron National Park.
When is the best time to visit Shark Bay?
expand_more
The dry season from April to October offers warm, sunny days (low to mid 20s), cooler nights and calmer seas, which is ideal for snorkelling, 4WD touring and dolphin viewing. Summer (November to March) is hot, often above 35 degrees, with stronger winds and the chance of tropical lows.
Whose Country is Shark Bay on?
expand_more
Shark Bay, known as Gathaagudu (meaning "two waters"), is the traditional Country of the Malgana people, who have cared for these lands and waters for tens of thousands of years. Visitors are encouraged to learn about Malgana culture through ranger talks and the Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Cultural Adventures tours.
Tourist locations
Places to visit in Shark Bay.
6 locations to explore
Eagle Bluff Lookout
Clifftop views over wild water
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardFrancois Peron National Park
Red dunes meet turquoise sea
$17 per vehicle
Full guide arrow_forwardHamelin Pool Stromatolites
Earth's oldest living organisms
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardMonkey Mia Dolphin Experience
Wild dolphins meet the shore
$15 adult, $5 child, $35 family
Full guide arrow_forwardOcean Park Aquarium
Guided tours of a living reef
$38 adult, $29 child (4-16), $34 concession
Full guide arrow_forwardShell Beach
A beach built from billions of shells
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardGallery
Shark Bay in pictures.
10 images licensed from Wikimedia Commons
All images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licences. Individual photographers are credited on the source pages.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Shark Bay.
You may also like
Kununurra
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park
Ningaloo Reef
Cape Naturaliste
Dunsborough
Yanchep
Bunbury
The Pinnacles
Mandoon Estate
Exmouth
Kalbarri National Park
Lake Hillier
Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (6)
- Wikipedia: Shark Bay · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shark Bay - UNESCO World Heritage List · UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Francois Peron National Park · WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
- Monkey Mia Reserve · WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
- Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve · WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
- Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre · Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre
Images (10)
- 00 1812 Shark Bay - Western Australia.jpg · W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 00 1817 Shark Bay Western Australia - Denham.jpg · W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Living stromatolites, Shark Bay, Western Australia.png · Ed Landing & Markes E. Johnson (in: Journal of... · CC BY 4.0
- Mitchell Bruce R-- Shark Bay salt lakes.jpg · Bruce R. Mitchell · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shark Bay, Australia (8569701912).jpg · NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, M... · Public domain
- Shark Bay, Australia (Unsplash).jpg · Tobias Keller tokeller · CC0
- Shark Bay.jpg · Misaochan2 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shark Bay - 50096741223.png · SentinelHub · CC BY 2.0
- Shark Bay Australia (MODIS 2018-07-13).jpg · Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NAS... · Public domain
- Shark Bay Banner.jpg · User:JarrahTree · CC BY 2.5 au
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.