This post is part of a weekly feature called Discovery of the Week. By discovery, I mean a place, a custom or dish that is not widely known. See, I love to read travel magazines, websites and books. Very often, I find beautiful and interesting gems that not a lot of people seem to know about. That is why I thought about introducing this feature because I am sure it will expose a lot of astonishing places. Additionally, I enjoy learning about the many amazing places in the world. I believe my readers also enjoy this activity.
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This week discovery: Shark Bay
Where it is located: In the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, about 400 miles (800 kilometers) north of Perth.
Location of Shark Bay in Australia
What it is: A World Heritage Site showcasing natural beauty, diverse sea life and wide-ranging geography. It has the largest seagrass bed in the world, dozens of endemic animal species, five endangered mammal species and more than a third of Australia’s bird species.
The bay itself covers an area of 10,000 km², with an average depth of 10 meters. It is divided by shallow banks and has many peninsulas and islands. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1991 and includes many protected areas, including Shark Bay Marine Park, Francois Peron National Park, Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve, Zuytdorp Nature Reserve and numerous islands.
Initially, my eye caught the beauty of the following photo.
Big Lagoon in Francois Peron National Park
I later found this is called the Big Lagoon in Francois Peron National Park.
More photos of the park:
Francois Peron National Park
Francois Peron National Park
Francois Peron National Park
Francois Peron National Park
Shark Bay is distinguished by the stromatolites. These are rock-like structures formed by blue-green algae colonies. Stromatolites are among the Earth’s oldest life forms. Some can be found in the Hamelin Pool Nature Reserve.
Hamelin Pool
Without a doubt, Shark Bay looks like a place made of dreams. The unique landscapes in this planet do not stop to amaze me.
Have you heard about this place before? Let me know in the comments section below.
The names on the map there had me chuckling. Can’t get over how beautifully inviting that water looks.
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