 Visit Monkey Mia WA
Monkey Mia is located on a unique section of World Heritage coastline only 30 minutes' drive northeast from the town of Denham. It has a relaxed atmosphere and those who love nature will delight at the huge variety of animal and bird life found nearby.
Wonderful things started happening in the early 1960s, when a pod of bottlenosed dolphins began what has become a ritual. Every day a number of dolphins swim into the clear shallows of the bay to interact with humans, delighting visitors with their intelligence and grace. As the dolphins are wild, numbers and the exact time of their visit varies, however the usually visit the shore several times a day and more frequently in the mornings.
Monkey Mia offers a wide variety of accommodation, facilities and activities to satisfy the needs of all travellers.
Nearby Denham has a reputation for excellent fishing and warm sunshine throughout the winter months. The calm blue waters of the bay provide ideal conditions for swimming, boating, waterskiing and beach combing.
 The Dolphins of Monkey Mia
The dolphins of Monkey Mia are famous for their almost daily ritual of swimming to shore to interact with humans. As the bottlenose are wild, numbers and the exact time of their visit varies, however the dolphins usually visit the shore up to three times a day and more frequently in the mornings.
Seven dolphins regularly visit the beach, including Nicky aged 24, Puck aged 23, Surprise aged 22, and Piccolo aged seven. Up to 20 other dolphins visit occasionally and may be sighted only three or four times a year, while others are seen many times. These occasional visitors stay offshore, preferring to keep a safe distance from human contact. It may take up to several years before they gain enough confidence to venture closer to shore.
When there are large crowds in the water, the dolphins tend to swim up and down the shoreline, just out of arms reach of the people, coming in only to accept fish then move off quickly. The public are asked constantly, to watch for signs of stress and obey the rangers instructions at all times. You can get a better interaction from the dolphins, by not attempting to touch them at all.
Introduce yourself to the dolphins and treat them as though they were people. Don't pat the blowhole - that is where dolphins breathe. Never put anything in or over the blowhole, and don't pat the head, it is a very sensitive area. Do not cause or make noises in the water to frighten the dolphins. Use sensible speed while boating. Be gentle with them and they will be gentle with you.
Visitors shouldn't expect to feed the dolphins when visiting Monkey Mia as we are very privileged just to see them. To enable this unique phenomenon to continue, some rules and regulations are necessary.
The dolphins may be fed only "fresh fish" provided by the rangers and under ranger's supervision.
The Dolphin Information Centre operates in a fragile and unique situation, which occurs nowhere else in the world. Since the centre has been functioning, they have been able to observe and study the dolphins, ie. How they behave and how they are affected by humans and vice versa.
T here are usually three rangers on duty at any one time. Their job is to care for the visitor centre as well as ensuring the dolphins are approached in the correct manner. The centre also shows educational videos on the dolphins that are of great interest to the visitor. Souvenirs and postcards are on sale also. Proceeds of which support the Monkey Mia appeal trust.
The ranger on duty will advise the feeding times and may hand out fish to selected people to feed to the dolphins.
Please note that the breeding season for dolphins is December through to early February.
For more information on travelling to the the West Coast region visit Western Australia Tourism's website.
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WA's National Parks & Reserves can be closed at times because of bushfire danger, Cyclone or flooding and other natural emergencies. Phone 1300 657 721 for emergency alerts or visit the FESA for more information. Find out about the National Parks and forests of WA by visititing CALM. Remember, play it safe and tell others where you go and when you will be back.
All images © WA Tourism.
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Disclaimer: The information contained about this region is provided as a guide only. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Break Loose Publishing disclaim any liability or responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. For our complete Disclaimer please follow the link at the foot of the page.
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