An online visitor's guide to Western Australia's parks, reserves and other recreation areas.
Monkey Mia Reserve 
Introduction:
Monkey Mia Reserve is located on the eastern shore of Peron Peninsula about 23 kilometres from the town of Denham in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. The reserve has high conservation values as well as economic values for the region's prosperity, being one of the major attractions for visitors to Shark Bay.
The reserve was originally 'gazetted' in 1890 for the purpose of "Government Requirement", following a request by a pearler for land to depasture sheep. It was used as a base for the pearling and fishing industies. At that time, it had a population of 135.
In the 1960s, fishfolk began feeding bottlenose dolphins when they returned with their catch. Over the years, dolphins began to come inshore and news of the phenomenon travelled by word of mouth as increasing numbers of visitors came from far and wide to see the dolphins.
The need for better facilities was recognised, and in 1985, an Information Centre was constructed and three years later a special State Government grant was provided to develop roads, carparks and toilets, and for landscaping.
In October 1988, the Monkey Mia Reserve was jointly vested in the Executive Director of the Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Shire of Shark Bay to recognise the area's recreational and environmental values.
The waters adjoining Monkey Mia were declared a Marine Park in November 1990. Commercial and recreational activities within the Marine park, as well as issues relating to Dolphin interaction are managed by the Department.
The current Monkey Mia Visitor Centre, completed in June 2001, is a good place to learn more about the dolphins and other marine life in this fascinating and world-famous nature-based tourism destination.
Park Entrance Fees
Day Permit: Adult $6, Child $2, Family $12
Holiday Permit: Adult $9, Child $4, Family $22
(*Note: Park entrance fees are subject to change)
The Monkey Mia Dolphins
Seven or eight dolphins are now regular visitors to the beach and the habit has been passed from mother to young and the visiting animals now span three generations. They belong to a much larger local group that lives farther out in the Bay. Researchers can recognise more than 100 individuals that live in the waters of Shark Bay and are studying bottlenose dolphin behaviour.
These dolphins are wild animals that come to the beach of their own free will to interact with people and accept fish from them. The CALM rangers carefully regulate all feeding activities to ensure that the dolphins don't become too dependent on hand-outs and continue to forage normally in the wild.
More to do:
- Walks:
- The Monkey Mia Walktrail - an easy walk of about 1.5 km that takes about an hour to complete. The best time to take the walk is just after sunrise or just before sunset when the land birds are feeding.
- Dives:
There are several dive sites in the nearby Shark Bay Marine Park:- Sandy Point - an excellent sheltered snorkelling area on the eastern side of Dirk Hartog Island
- Broadhurst Corals - a coral community in a patch around 500 metres in diameter on the western side of Peron Peninsula that swarms with colourful marine life.
- Surf Point - a series of coarl patches to the south of Dirk Hartog Island.
Volunteers play an important role in helping to manage the Monkey Mia Reserve and Dolphin Interaction Program. Volunteering provides opportunities for people to contribute and enjoy the features of Monkey Mia Reserve, assist the CALM staff with tourist management and dolphin-human interaction programs, and to develop awareness and knowledge of Monkey Mia Reserve programs and the surrounding World Heritage Area to the general community.
The following information is designed to give you an idea of some of the work involved. As a volunteer at Monkey Mia, some of the projects you may be required to undertake include:
- Dolphin feeding and management
- Dolphin data collection and collation
- Customer service (answering enquiries, disseminating information)
- Assisting with interpretive activities
- Site maintenance (sweeping, cleaning windows, rubbish collection, gardening etc)
- Office duties (word processing, photocopying)
- Maintenance of Fish Room (fish preparation and cleaning)
Due to the large number of people wishing to participate in the volunteer program at Monkey Mia, it is essential that you let us know what dates you will be available so that we can confirm if we have any vacancies.
THE MAXIMUM VOLUNTEER PERIOD IS TWO WEEKS. THE MINIMUM PERIOD IS FOUR DAYS. (A free Wildlife Cruise is offered after 4 days volunteer work).
Where is it?: 23 kilometres from Denham on the east of Peron Peninsula. Entry Fees apply for the reserve, but Park passes (4-Week Holiday, Annual All Parks and Goldstar) are not valid.
Travelling time: Approx half an hour from Denham. It takes a good day's drive to reach Denham from Perth, but there are also regular flights from Perth Domestic Airport.
Best season: All year round.
What to see and do: Interact with the dolphins, go fishing, swimming, boating or beachwalking. Nearby attractions include Francois Peron National Park.
Facilities: * Please note that Special Entrance Fees apply. Monkey Mia Visitor Centre, boat launch ramp, jetty, shelters, barbecues, lawns, toilets, and a shop, cafe, restaurant and accommodation at the nearby Monkey Mia Resort. There is also a range of accommodation, shops, petrol stations, and restaurants in Denham.
Extra facilities:
