Shark Bay

Shark Bay is a special place in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, about 800 kilometres (500 mi) north of Perth. It covers an area of 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi) and is located on the westernmost point of the Australian continent.

It is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its unique natural features. One of the most famous features is its stromatolites. These are very old, dome-shaped structures made by tiny living things. They are thought to be among the oldest forms of life on Earth.

Shark Bay also has one of the largest and most diverse seagrass areas in the world. The area is home to many sea creatures, including a large group of dugongs. It offers a safe place for several other species that are important to the world. The bay is also a popular place for fishing.

History

People from Australia have lived in Shark Bay for about 22,000 years. Long ago, this area was dry land. When the sea levels rose, the waters flooded Shark Bay between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago. Places where people lived and ate have been found, showing their food from the sea and land.

In 1616, explorer Dirk Hartog was the second group of Europeans to find Australia, after Willem Janszoon visited Cape York in 1606. The area was named Shark Bay by William Dampier in 1699. Other explorers came over the next years. People began settling there in the 1860s and 1870s. Fishing for pearls became important from 1870. In the early 1900s, people also caught whales in the bay. Today, only a few people live there.

Climate

The Shark Bay Heritage Area has a hot desert climate. This means it has very hot and dry summers, and winters that are mild but a bit wetter.

Shark Bay World Heritage Site

The Shark Bay area was named a World Heritage Site in 1991. It was the first such site in Western Australia. It was added to the Australian National Heritage List on May 21, 2007.

Shark Bay covers a large area of 23,000 square kilometres, much of which is underwater. It includes many protected places such as Shark Bay Marine Park, Francois Peron National Park, and Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve. Towns like Denham are within the area but not part of the protected zone.

The bay has many interesting landforms, including long coastlines, islands, and special cliffs called the Zuytdorp Cliffs. It is home to many animals, such as dugongs, dolphins, and many bird species. The area also has large seagrass fields, which are very important for marine life. There are special structures called stromatolites in the shallow waters, which scientists study.

Facilities such as the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre in Denham offer visitors information about the region's special features. People can reach Shark Bay by plane or by driving along the World Heritage Drive between Denham and Overlander Roadhouse.

Specific reserved areas

National parks and reserves in the World Heritage Area

• Bernier Island
• Dorre Island
• Charlie Island
• Francois Peron National Park
• Friday Island
• Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve
• Hamelin Pool/East Faure Island High-Low Water Mark
• Koks Island
• Monkey Mia
• Shark Bay Marine Park

• Shell Beach
• Small Islands
• Zuytdorp Nature Reserve

Bays of the World Heritage area

• Hamelin Pool
• Henri Freycinet Harbour
• L'Haridon Bight

Islands of the World Heritage area

• Bernier Island
• Dirk Hartog Island
• Faure Island

Peninsulas of the World Heritage area

• Bellefin Prong
• Heirisson Prong
• Carrarang Peninsula
• Peron Peninsula

IBRA sub regions of the Shark Bay Area

The Shark Bay area has three bioregions within the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia system: Carnarvon, Geraldton Sandplains, and Yalgoo. The bioregions are divided into sub-bioregions:

• Carnarvon bioregion (CAR) –
  • Wooramel sub region (CAR2) – most of Peron Peninsula and coastline east of Hamelin Pool
  • Cape Range sub region (CAR1) – (not represented in area)
• Geraldton Sandplains bioregion (GS) –
  • Geraldton Hills sub region (GS1) – Zuytdorp Nature Reserve area
  • Leseur sub region (GS2) – (not represented in area)
• Yalgoo bioregion (YAL) –
  • Tallering sub region (YAL2) (not represented in area)
  • Edel subregion (YAL1) – Bernier, Dorre and Dirk Hartog Islands