About Shark Bay
Shark Bay World Heritage Area
Situated on the westernmost edge of the Australian continent, Shark Bay is actually two bays separated by the Peron Peninsula.
Shark Bay was recognised by UNESCO in 1991 as one of the most remarkable places on Earth. The Shark Bay World Heritage Area covers 2.2 million hectares and is considered to be one of the world’s greatest wilderness treasures. To be listed, Shark Bay has satisfied natural World Heritage site criteria in the areas of:
- Major stages in the evolutionary history of the world
- Geological and biological processes
- Natural beauty and Unique and significant natural species.
The Shark Bay region is home to five of Australia’s 26 endangered mammal species, as well as 35 percent of Australia’s bird species. The Shark Bay mouse is one of the more well-known endangered species of the region.
The stromatolites found in Hamelin Pool are the most diverse and abundant examples of stromatolitic microbialites in the world. These are colonies of algae which form hard deposits in shallow waters and are similar to structures that were the dominant benthic ecosystems on Earth for 3,000 million years.
Shark Bay is particularly interesting in terms of biological and geomorphic processes due to the natural marine basin within the bay causing variations in water salinity. Over time, the marine basin near Hamelin Pool has formed a reverse estuary containing hypersaline waters. The hyper-salinity is aided by low movement of water through the area and high temperatures resulting in increased evaporation.
As of May 2007, Shark Bay was one of 15 World Heritage locations that were included on the Australian National Heritage list.
To find out more, visit www.sharkbay.org.au.
Shark Bay Accommodation
There are various accommodation options in Shark Bay, including resort, villa, caravanning, backpacker and camping locations. These can be booked through the Shark Bay Discovery & Visitor Centre, the accredited Tourist Information Centre in Shark Bay.
Tours and attractions
Shark Bay Tourism information
Ocean Park is situated 8km south of Denham and approximately 30km from Monkey Mia on Shark Bay Road. Located on Western Australia’s rugged and spectacular west coast, Ocean Park is nearly the most western most point of Australia.
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