Scuba Diving in Shark Bay
Shark Bay is an up and coming dive destination, one of the newest on the Coral Coast. The dive sites are situated in a world heritage listed area and are abundant with marine life. Experience the thrill of diving at Steep Point, the most westerly point of mainland Australia!
Ancient tectonic activity has created huge underwater caverns and overhangs, encrusted in stunning soft corals. During your dive, you have the opportunity to bump into huge Queensland grouper, manta rays, sting rays, turtles, cuttlefish, pelagic fish, Western rock lobster, nudibranch and of course many different species of sharks. Worth travelling to the edge of Australia for!
For those adventurous boaters and divers, there are many unexplored sites all over the Shark Bay region, however most divers will be happy to know there is a local dive operator in Denham. Shark Bay Dive & Marine Safaris offer full day tours with options for divers and snorkellers, scuba tanks fills and scuba gear rental to certified divers, they are situated at Ocean Park Aquarium on the Shark Bay Road. BOOK ONLINE NOW!
Snorkelling in Shark Bay
Shark Bay offers a safe snorkelling area all year round. Most of the bay does offer shallow snorkelling over a sandy sea floor, however there are a few locations of interest.
Dirk Hartog Island provides snorkelers with the opportunity to snorkel over coral gardens. Locations such as Louisa Bay and Sandy Point are popular spots. These locations are accessible by boat or via 4WD on the island.
If you have a 4WD and can access the Francois Peron National Park where Gregories camping area has a rocky outcrop that extends from the shore. This is best snorkelled on a high tide. The rocky structure offers a sanctuary for many fish species.
Monkey Mia Beach offers a safe location for beginner snorkelers as the waters are calm. If you are lucky you may even see a stingray, a turtle or a dolphin swim past.
At the Denham Foreshore there are swimming pontoons that will attract marine life and well worth diving in for a look.
Another location offering some interesting sights is the Little Lagoon Inlet. Located off Stella Rowley Drive the inlet is a mangrove area which is a nursery for small marine fish and crabs. The orange and green colours you’ll find here are worth the view from the lookout but offer an entirely different view below the surface. Please note that stone fish have been known to breed in this inlet so please consider this when entering the water here.
Snorkel gear is available for hire from Monkey Mia and Shark Bay Dive and Marine Safaris or visit the local stores to purchase your own set. There are also tour operators in Shark Bay that offer snorkelling tours via boat and 4WD. Please check with individual operators or contact us for more information.
Image credits: Shark Bay Dive, Nick Thake Photography , Elements Photography