Shark Bay
Australia · Western Australia
A UNESCO World Heritage Site protecting one of the world's largest seagrass meadows, Shark Bay harbours enormous dugong populations, loggerhead sea turtles, and the living stromatolites at Hamelin Pool — some of the oldest life forms on Earth. Tiger sharks patrol the shallows year-round, drawn by the abundant marine mammals. The bay's hypersaline conditions and extraordinary biodiversity make every dive a window into ancient and living ocean systems.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is fairly quiet.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
29 species across the dive sites here
Bottlenose Dolphin
Seen 24 days ago
at Monkey Mia Seagrass Flats
Near threatened
Loggerhead Turtle
Seen 26 days ago
at Monkey Mia Seagrass Flats
Vulnerable
Dugong
Seen 2 months ago
at Monkey Mia Seagrass Flats
Vulnerable
Golden Trevally
Seen 3 months ago
at Monkey Mia Seagrass Flats
Least concern
Blue-ringed Octopus
Seen 8 months ago
at Francois Peron Bommies
Australian Flathead
Seen year round
at Shell Beach Reef
Banded Coral Shrimp
Seen year round
at Shell Beach Reef
Blacktip Reef Shark
Seen year round
at Dirk Hartog Island Wall
Vulnerable
Blue-spotted Ray
Seen year round
at Shell Beach Reef
Least concern
Feather Star (Crinoid)
Seen year round
at Shell Beach Reef
Feather Stars
Seen year round
at Francois Peron Bommies
Giant Moray Eel
Seen year round
at Francois Peron Bommies
Least concern
Giant Stingray
Seen year round
at Francois Peron Bommies
Large-mouth Nanny Goby (Snapper)
Seen year round
at Dirk Hartog Island Wall
Least concern
Long-spined Sea Urchin
Seen year round
at Shell Beach Reef
Sand Crab
Seen year round
at Monkey Mia Seagrass Flats
Seagrass Pipefish
Seen year round
at Shell Beach Reef
Least concern
Spangled Emperor
Seen year round
at Francois Peron Bommies
Least concern
Trevally
Seen year round
at Francois Peron Bommies
Least concern
Wobbegong Shark
Seen year round
at Dirk Hartog Island Wall
Yellow-lipped Sea Krait
Seen year round
at Shell Beach Reef
Least concern
Yellowfin Bream
Seen year round
at Francois Peron Bommies
Least concern
Bluefin Trevally
Seasonal visitor
at Monkey Mia Seagrass Flats
Least concern
Coral Trout (juv.)
Seasonal visitor
at Shell Beach Reef
Least concern
Giant Cuttlefish
Seasonal visitor
at Francois Peron Bommies
Near threatened
Green Sea Turtle
Seasonal visitor
at Dirk Hartog Island Wall
Least concern
Mangrove Jack
Seasonal visitor
at Monkey Mia Seagrass Flats
Least concern
Manta Ray
Seasonal visitor
at Dirk Hartog Island Wall
Endangered
Tiger Shark
Seasonal visitor
at Shell Beach Reef
Near threatened
Dive sites
Shell Beach Reef
loggerhead turtle · yellow-lipped sea krait · tiger shark · australian flathead
Dirk Hartog Island Wall
wobbegong shark · tiger shark · loggerhead turtle · green sea turtle
Monkey Mia Seagrass Flats
dugong · tiger shark · loggerhead turtle · yellow-lipped sea krait
Francois Peron Bommies
tiger shark · giant stingray · giant cuttlefish · yellowfin bream