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| Denham Shark Bay........................ Main Details|| Attractions|| Weather |
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Visitor Centre:
Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery and Visitor Information Centre
53 Knight Terrace, Denham
Phone: 08 9948 1590
Web: www.sharkbayinterpretivecentre.com.au
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History:
On 25th October 1616, Dirk Hartog, Captain of a Dutch trading ship, landed at Cape Inscription on what is now known as Dirk Hartog Island. He was the first recorded white man to set foot on Australian soil. He commemorated his visit by nailing a pewter plate on to a post.
Denham derives its name from Captain H.H.Denham, who charted the whole of Shark Bay in 1858.
In the early 1860s, the first pastoralists came to the area and by the 1870s, pearling attracted many nationalities, including Malays, Chinese and Europeans. Pearling, once the most important income earner, declined during the Depression but has now been re-established at Monkey Mia.
General:
Visitors are encouraged to look closely at Shark Bay’s unusual natural beauty. Plan to spend time exploring the pristine bays, inlets and islands. Discover for yourself some of the rare plants, mammals and birds found only in Shark Bay. The shallow waters of the Shark Bay Marine Park abound with a myriad of marine life. Vast seagrass meadows are home to the most secure populations of dugongs in the World. Around 10,000 dugongs forage in the shallow marine environment of Shark Bay. The clear waters give visitors the chance to view dugongs, manta rays, marine turtles and humpback whales, and the famous dolphins of Monkey Mia visit the beach each day to interact
with visitors.
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