Shark Bay

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At the extreme western coast and 800km from Perth, a visit to Shark Bay will be like no other. World Heritage listed in all four categories – Shark Bay covers over 2.2 million hectares, has a coastline more than 1,500km long, encompasses numerous islands and two embayment’s.

In 1991 Shark Bay was ranked on the World Heritage List, alongside the Galápagos Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Grand Canyon, as a site of global environmental importance.

Due to the areas diversity it is home to

100 species of reptiles and amphibians
240 species of birds
820 species of fish
over 80 coral
218 bivalve species
migratory species
the humpback whale
820 species of plants - 53 of which are endemic species.

There are also many rare and endangered species, such as the loggerhead turtle, green turtle, dugong and four species of mammal found in the wild nowhere else on Earth. The isolated islands and peninsulas allow an opportunity to protect these animals from predators.

Shark Bay also is full of cultural heritage, with people walking the land for thousands of years, from the indigenous people to the tourists today.

What to do:

There are so many possibilities! Several walking trails allow you to see the land, and the natural features. There are also many tours available:

4WD tours
wildlife cruises
yacht charters
island tours
fishing charters/tours
camel rides
scenic flights
cultural tours
and pearl farm tours.

If that’s wasn’t enough, just think of the water activities! You can go swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, windsurfing, kite-boarding, sea-kayaking and surfing. Not to mention Monkey Mia, which will give you the chance to get up close and personal with the sea life, or visit Bernier Island.

As you can see, this is not someplace that you can see in a day. There are several camping grounds available, so you can extend your stay to see all that Shark Bay has to offer!