 Visit Shark Bay and Denham WA
On October 25, 1616 Dirk Hartog landed on Cape Inscription. He was the first recorded white man to set foot on Australian soil. He commemorated his visit by nailing a pewter plate onto a post and a replica is now on display at the Shark Bay Shell Craft Museum.
The first Englishman to visit the west coast of Australia was William Dampier. In August of 1699 he spent seven days in Shark Bay examining the shore and naming the bay. In fact, most of the names of the islands and bays in Shark Bay are named after historical explorers and members of their expeditions.
The town of Denham derives its name from Captain H Denham, who charted the whole of Shark Bay in 1858 and his name still remains on the sea chart.
The first pastoralists came to Shark Bay in the early 1860's, about the same time that traders in Perth became interested in the pearls and pearl shells which could be found in abundance. By the 1870's, many small settlements were scattered along the shores of Shark Bay, and pearling attracted many nationalities. European pearlers recruited Malays and Islanders, while the Chinese often bought their own vessels and operated in direct competition with the European pearlers.
After 70 years of trading, the onset of the depression finally caused the pearling industries closure. Subsequently, fishing became the mainstay of the remaining Shark Bay settlements and a cannery and processing works were established at Monkey Mia in 1912, then later at Herald Bight.
 The high point of any visit to Shark Bay is sure to be the dolphins of Monkey Mia. The magical thrill of being touched by these beautiful wild mammals has to be experienced to be believed. The fact that this piece of enchanting coastline is the only place in the world where dolphins freely choose to communicate with humans makes it particularly special.
The dolphins are only one of many natural wonders to be discovered there. The whole nature of the peninsula's and the many islands and inlets that make up Shark Bay, makes it like no other holiday destination in the world. The whole area of Shark Bay is teeming with wild creatures – kangaroos, emus, eagles as well as many sea creatures and plants unique to the region.
In 1991 Shark Bay was listed as a World Heritage Area. Shark Bay is one of only 14 places in the world to meet all four natural criteria for World Heritage listing and is the only listing for Western Australia.
The region has some 700 species of wildflowers and the States longest flowering period. Some of the most common plants include the Shark Bay daisy, Royce's gum, Rogerson's grevillea and Golden Lambstail. In summer the Sceptre Banksia is in flower and after good winter rains the Everlastings appear as carpets on the landscape.
 Shark Bay Marine Park
Shark Bay is Australia's largest marine embayment with over 1500 kilometres of meandering coastline. The Marine Park landscapes and habitats vary from rugged sea cliffs, to tranquil lagoons and beaches of sand or shell.
The shallow waters within the Bay sustain a diverse ecology including coral and hypersaline communities, mangroves and seagrass meadows. These provide home to a rich aquatic life of turtles, whales, dolphins, dugongs, sea snakes and sharks, as well as commercial stocks of fish, prawns, scallops and crabs.
There are an estimated 10,000 dugongs living in the waters of Shark Bay. This represents about 10% of the world's remaining population and is the world's largest and most secure population of this threatened species. Chater boat tours offer unique opportunities to witness dugongs in the wild.
Shark Bay Marine Park is the largest area and number of seagrass species recorded in one place in the world. In Shark Bay there are 12 species. These extensive seagrass beds provide a nutritious and protective habitat for other marine life.
There are many places in the Marine Park ideal for boating, swimming, fishing, snorkelling and diving.
For more information on travelling to the the West Coast region visit Western Australia Tourism's website.
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