Life is too short to be stuck at home all the time. And if you’re looking for some exciting things to do on holiday, you’ve come to the right place! In this blog, we’ll be discussing some of the best things to do in Shark Bay.

Shark Bay is a magnificent stretch of coastline that is also home to many wonderful creatures, from dolphins and turtles to Manta Rays and whale sharks.

It’s a great place for snorkelling and scuba diving. You can even hire a boat tour just about anywhere around here and go out into the ocean where there are plenty of marine life sightings.

If spending too much time underwater doesn’t sound very appealing, then head inland where you’ll find some of Australia’s most stunning rock formations – perfect for climbing or caving.

There are plenty of cafes and restaurants with scenic views as well as cute little boutiques for perusing. If you’re feeling energetic you can always spend some time outdoors exploring one.

So, that’s a good start. And we haven’t even got to the dolphins yet. Or the scenic flights, night cruises, Eco tours and it goes on.

If you’re anything like us, you head north for what you think will be a week-long fishing trip. At the end of the week, none of our fishing gear saw the water. There was just too many things to see and do.

Introduction to Shark Bay

Shark Bay is situated in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. If you’re looking at a map of Australia, it’s about halfway up the west coast.

The Shark Bay World Heritage area was given World Heritage status in 1991, in recognition of the diverse range of plants and animals in the area.

The area was initially used for salt mining and pastoralism. The earliest tourists went there for the fishing, and I can clearly remember my father-in-law telling the stories of the trip he took to Steep Point in the seventies.

Although fishing is still a popular pastime, Eco tourism has definitely come in now. With more and more people taking an interest in how the area can be preserved for future generations.

There is only one town in Shark Bay, which is Denham. The small coastal town has a population of around 600 people. There’s a supermarket, petrol station, a couple of general stores and some café restaurants. There’s also two caravan parks with a variety of accommodation styles.

The last time we went there we stayed in a small cabin, which had a double bed, 4 bunk beds and a small kitchen dining area. This was perfect for us, as we’re generally camping folks, so this felt a bit upmarket.

We still had a short walk for showers and toilets, so that kept our feet on the ground.

Getting There

Most people come to Shark Bay by car, and that’s the way we’ve always done it. One of the best reasons for traveling to this region by car is for the views.

The coast road runs very close to the ocean, and in many places, it’s elevated. Every few kilometres there are parking areas where you can get out and admire the view.

With any kind of elevated vantage point, you will quickly see how the area got its name. There are sharks everywhere. And sting rays. Not little ones you understand. I’m talking about sharks and rays that you can see 300 metres (1000 feet) away.

Other than getting there by your own means, (car, motorbike, bicycle etc), many people opt to arrive by bus.

This region is a very popular stop off for the tour bus trade. The only problem I can see is that there’s no way that they would stop long enough for you to do justice to the area. But I suppose that works the same way for most popular destinations.

Scuba Diving And Snorkelling

Scuba diving and snorkel tours are the best way to get a closer look at all of the underwater life that Shark Bay has to offer, and for some people, it’s all about the thrill of feeling like you’re part of the ocean.

Now, I do need to admit something here. I’ve never been snorkelling or scuba diving here. Which is a shame, because those are some of my favourite things to do.

The problem is that, although I understand the whole idea of a food chain. What I don’t need is some big, toothy bugger pointy out exactly where I fit in that chain.

Jacqui and I now own shark shields, so maybe we’ll give it a try on our next trip. We did speak to a lot of people up there who had been in the water, and they had nothing bad to say about it.

The Dolphins

Most people associate Shark Bay with the dolphins of Monkey Mia. And hey. If that’s what gets you up here, then that’s great.

To be honest the dolphins are a real treat. You’d have to be fairly hard hearted to not feel humbled and honoured, to have a dolphin come up to check you out in the wild.

For many people, this is the only place they’ll ever see them in the wild. Although, to be fair, wild has some license here.

A lot of work has been done to improve the area. There are dolphin learning centres, cafés, restaurants, and naturally some places to get some souviners.

With all that said though, the beach is still just a beach, and the dolphins decide whether or not they’re coming that day.

Evening Cruise

Located at Monkey Mia is a large open deck catamaran. Every afternoon this cat sets sail out into the bay for an evening cruise.

The area is so full of marine life, that it would be a rare trip that you don’t get to see a decent chunk of it.

Help with the sails if you like. Or just sit back with a glass of wine and soak up this beautiful part of the world.

Eco Tourism

Lat time we were here, Jacqui and I discovered one of the finest eco-tourism initiatives we’ve ever seen.

Starting at Little Lagoon, our indigenous guide leads us on a kayak tour through the little creeks between the lagoon and the ocean.

One the way, we were introduced to the flora and fauna of the area through the eyes of someone with thousands of years of learning. We were shown what plants were used for food, and which were for healing. The life cycle of the various animals, and how the locals used to catch and cook them.

At one stage we were surrounded by hundreds of little nervous sharks. At least he said they were nervous sharks. They didn’t look that nervous to me.

The tour finishes up with a barbeque on the beach, at the end of a magnificent day.

Scenic Flight

Whilst the scenery from the ground is great, there’s nothing quite like a scenic flight, to bring it all together.

There is a small airport a short drive from Denham and scenic flights can be taken from there.

With the shark Bay area being made up of a series of islands and bays, a flight can really give you some context.

You’ll get an idea of just how much marine life is down there, as well as enjoying some of the harsh landscape scenery the area has to offer.

Make sure the memory card in your camera is empty before the flight. You’re going to need all the space you can get.

Historic tours of the area

You can also book some exciting and educational tours of the area. They’ll take you around to learn about its history and culture, as well as take you close to some of the local wildlife.

There are various tours you can choose from ranging from a full day tour to just half an hour. We went on a full day tour through the Francois Peron National Park.

This included a stop so that our guide could cook up some lunch on the trail. I’m sure that not all guides are equal, but ours had spent most of his life in the area and knew the place like the back of his hand.

Fishing

Let’s not forget the whole reason that tourism took off here in the first place. The fishing here is world renowned. Indeed, for many fishing devotees, Steep Point is considered a bucket list inclusion.

Let’s face it, the sharks don’t come here for the scenery. They like a good buffet as much as we do.

You can fish pretty much anywhere up here with a good chance of getting a feed. If you are going to Steep Point, then do your research before you go. Just taking the same rod that you use off the local jetty is unlikely to cut it up there.

There are plenty of blog posts around which will let you know what you need for a successful fishing trip. As always with fishing, know and respect the local bag limits.

Food

The café and restaurant scene is thriving here. A town situated inside a pastoral lease, which is surrounded by a diverse marine environment, means that the food is always fresh.

And more importantly, Reef and Beef is on many menus. So that’s me set.

Conclusion

Shark Bay is a great place to lose yourself for a week or so. Get up close and personal with nature, or go exploring the history of the place, it’s all here.

If you’d like a closer look at Shark Bay, Here’s the official website.

While you’re in the area, here’s a couple of other spots that are definitely worth checking out.

What is there to do in Coral Bay?

Hotels in Exmouth and what to do when you get there

Spend a day swimming with whale sharks

Cheers and happy travels