Swimming with dolphins at Monkey Mia

Next bit of civilisation on route north is Denham. Oz's most westerly town and a good stop before Monkey Mia.
The Hamelin Pool a marine reserve contains the world's best known colony of Stromatolites. These rock like formations are made up of microbes almost identical to organisms that existed 3500 million years
ago. This area also housed the Postmasters residence and telegraph office that served as a telephone exchange till 1977.  This place was 2 hours from anything but sold Devonshire cream teas and the outpost used to transmit messages from NASAs Gemini space craft.

Nearby is Shell beach a whole beach made up of miniature cockle shells that is up to 1 metre deep. These cement together after rain and are used to make into building bricks.

We stopped at Eagle bluff, a cliff top lookout for birds and sharks, didn't spot any sharks.  Just as well with snorkeling on the agenda in the next bay round.

At last we get to Monkey Mia. Named after a visiting ship called Monkey back in the day and Mia is Aboriginal for home. We were up early to see the dolphins feeding at 7.30am.  Dolphin feeding started back in the 50s by local fisherman. Shark bay has a 50% fatality rate of all newly born dolphins. It ain't called shark bay for nothing!  500 grams of fish is given only to certain female dolphins, depending on which turn up. Some days 5 or more turn up and some days none. The fish given isn't much so that they continue to hunt in the wild.

Male dolphins hang around in packs looking for schools of fish or fighting over females whilst the female dolphins constantly focus on pregnancy and searching out food whilst raising their young. You could
say a bit like us humans!

Dolphin facts:

They have 104 very sharp teeth
Adult dolphins weigh 120 kilo baby dolphins around 50 kilo
They can swim up to 40 kph
They communicate through a series of whistles and clicks.
Pregnancy is around 12 months

Monkey Mia is up there when you think of complete remote paradise bar a few other die hard road trippers, these parts are pretty deserted. Close to shore there are pelicans and rays, as well as dolphins. We were swimming and 2 dolphins decided to join us, just to add to the untouched beauty of it all.  Had to keep reminding ourselves that the dorsal fin coming towards us was not a shark!