One of only a handful of beaches in the world to be made up of solely of shells. You won’t find a grain of sand in sight!
The beach is made up of trillions of tiny white shells all from one type of animal. The tiny Coquina Shell also known as the Hamelin Cockle, only live in the same hypersaline waters as the stromatolites in Hamelin Pool. There is a distinct lack of predators in this salty water hence the abundance of one species. Trillions of the tiny shells have accumulated up to 10 metres deep forming a beach stretching 120 kilometres.
This pristine shoreline gives way to crystal clear water of the most stunning greens and blues. It’s safe to swim and snorkel at Shell Beach. Interpretive signs along the short walk between the car park and the beach tells the cockle’s story.
Access to Shell Beach
Shell Beach is a must do whilst in Shark Bay and the beach is located on Shark Bay Road, 45 kilometres from the town of Denham or 84 kilometres from the North West Coastal Highway. Shell Beach is easily accessible by two-wheel drive.
There is no entrance fee for Shell Beach.
Shell Block Quarry
You can also visit the unique shell block quarry near Hamelin Pool Nature Reserve that is composed of the compacted cockle shells. You can see examples of a shell block in use inside the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre or at the Old Pearler restaurant located on Knight Terrace (the main street in Denham town).
Image credits: Toursim Western Australia, Australias Coral Coast, @_sarahcolette