Dolphins at Shark Bay
Posted: June 30th, 2012 by Courtney
After a great couple of sunny days in Coral Bay we decided to start making our way back down the coast back to Perth. We stopped at Shark Bay for a few days, which is known for its Shell Beach and the dolphins which inhabit the bay.
Shark Bay is a listed World Heritage Site and a driving tour has been designed to see some of the main sites. The first stop was to the Hamelin Pool, which is home to tons of stromatolites, some of the oldest organisms on the planet. Nearby was a shell quarry, where local cockle shells have collected and been glued together by rain water and was used as bricks to build the first buildings in the area. Today the shells are used to restore some of the historic buildings, including a great seafood restaurant we dined at in the town of Denham.
Stromatolites
Shell quarry – you can see how the shells get glued together
One night we ate at The Old Pearler seafood restaurant, which is made out of shell bricks
The next stop was Shell Beach which is made entirely of cockle and other shells.
Shell Beach in Shark Bay
Playing in the shells
The next morning we got up before sunrise to make our way to Monkey Mia to see the morning dolphin feeding. Three generations of wild dolphins call Monkey Mia home and the Department of Conservation (DEC) does marine research, as well as conducts a morning feeding with the dolphins.
We lined up on the beach around 8 am as a few dolphins made there way into shore. It was great to see the dolphins up close and they even hung around for much of the day as we relaxed later on the beach.
Mom and baby dolphin in Monkey Mia
Later that evening we met up with local Aboriginals guide, Cape who took us out for a campfire and to learn about his culture and history. It was nice to experience the land from his perspective, which has great respect for the land and animals. The boys learned a bit about how to play the didgeridoo, which is said to be the oldest musical instrument in the world.
The boys trying out the didgeridoo
And I’ll end with another beautiful sunset