Department of Environment and Conservation

Nearest town:
Entry fee: AUD $ 0.00
Introduction:

The many bays, inlets and islands in the Shark Bay region support a profusion of aquatic life. Turtles, whales, prawns, scallops, sea snakes, fish and sharks are common.

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Communities of sponges and other invertebrates, together with a unique mix of tropical and temperate fish species, have also formed in some areas. The wide intertidal flats on the shores of Shark Bay support a unique community of burrowing molluscs, hermit crabs and other invertebrates. But the very foundation of Shark Bay's ecosystem is the seagrass - meadows and meadows of it!

Shark Bay has the largest area of seagrass and the largest number of species ever recorded in one place in the world. Elsewhere, one or two species cover large geographic areas. For example, there is only one species of seagrass in most of North America and Europe. But in Shark Bay there are 12 species, and, in some places in the Bay, nine can easily be identified in a square metre.

The marine park and the scientifically-important seagrass banks form an important part of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. The marine embayments of Shark Bay Marine Park offer many shallow, but highly recommended, diving and snorkelling sites. The most renowned sites are at Monkey Rock and the wreck of the Gudrun, rated by the Western Australian Maritime Museum as one of the State's best wreck dives. Fish species in the area include estuary cod, many species of brightly-coloured wrasse such as cleaner fish and green moon wrasse, scissortail sergeant, lined butterflyfish, varieties of surgeonfish and brightly-coloured angelfish.

Dugongs and marine turtles are frequently seen in the bay. In Australian waters, herbivorous green turtles are more numerous than other marine turtles, which are carnivores. Individual turtles are common in Shark Bay all year round and congregations of turtles can be seen from the end of July, although the start of the breeding season is usually later. Traditionally, turtles and dugongs formed an important part of the diet of Aboriginal people but in Shark Bay these animals are not subject to as much hunting pressure as in other parts of the world.

The waters of Monkey Mia, where several bottlenose dolphins regularly visit the beach, are also within the marine park. The dolphins are wild animals that come to the beach of their own free will to interact with people and accept fish from them.

A pocket-sized, full colour book Discovering Shark Bay Marine Park and Monkey Mia is an excellent guide to common marine plants and animals found in the park and a few recreation sites.

The Shark Bay Marine Park is adjacent to the remarkable Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve, with its unique communities of stromatolites.

More to see and do

Boating, diving, snorkelling, watching marine life, fishing (outside sanctuary zones), windsurfing and swimming are popular and there are numerous boat ramps. See Dive & Snorkel Sites in Western Australia and More Dive and Snorket Sites in Western Australia for mud maps and further information on suggested dive sites, including those below.

• Broadhurst corals. The Broadhurst coral patch is around 500 metres in diameter, and swarms with colourful sea life. Many species of staghorn, brain and plate corals vie for attention, and there are numerous soft corals. A bright purple sponge growing throughout the area is notable.
• Sandy Point. The coral and fish communities of Sandy Point lie on the eastern side of Dirk Hartog Island. There are numerous species of blue, purple, green and brown staghorn corals growing in a great diversity of forms. In one area, there is a virtual garden of beautiful blue staghorn coral. Brain corals and plate corals can also be seen.

Nearest DEC Office: DEC's Gascoyne District Office is in Knight Terrace, Denham 6537. Phone (08) 9948 1208.

There is a Ranger Station at Monkey Mia. Phone (08) 9948 1366.

Quicktime VR Tour:

Before You Start
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ALL SET? Let's Go Visit the Dolphins

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Region: Midwest
Where is it?: Denham, on the shores of the Shark Bay Marine Park, is 400 kilometres north from Geraldton and 330 kilometres from Carnarvon. Monkey Mia Reserve is 23 kilometres from Denham.
Travelling time: Denham is four hours from Geraldton and three hours drive from Carnarvon. Monkey Mia Reserve 15 minutes drive from Denham.
Access: Commercial flights operate to Shark Bay and airfare and accommodation packages are available. There are boat ramps at Denham and Monkey Mia. By road, take the Brand Highway to Geraldton and the North West Coastal Highway to Overlander, then turn left to Denham.
Best season: The best time to visit the Bay is between June and October, when winds are generally lightest and the temperature is in the mid-20s (?C). Temperatures can be extremely hot in the summer months.
What to see and do: Worlds largest area of seagrass, dugongs, turtles, seabirds, secludedbays, beaches, boating, diving, snorkelling, watching marine life, fishing (outside sanctuary zones), windsurfing and swimming are popular and there are numerous boat ramps.
Safety information: Because local tides and conditions can be tricky people without local knowledge should only dive these sites with an experienced charter operator.
Facilities: The town of Denham is fully serviced. However, no hire equipment or compressed air is available and if you wish to dive you will have to bring filled SCUBA tanks and other dive gear with you. Facilities at Monkey Mia include barbecues, shelters, lawns, a boat ramp and jetty and there is a range of accommodation from resort-style to budget. There are shops and a caravan park. Entry fees apply. Other accomodation is available at Denham and Nanga Station, with camping at the Old Telegraph Station at Hamelin Pool.
Extra facilities:

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