Shark Bay is so rich in biological and physical wonders that it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s one of only a handful that meet all the criteria: evolutionary significance, ongoing ecological processes, biodiversity, and outstanding natural phenomena.
One of the film crew’s goals was to capture the surrounding red-clay sea cliffs in their primordial splendor.
Shark Bay harbors the world’s largest sea grass beds, over 2,500 square miles (4,000 square kilometers).
Dolphins put Shark Bay
on the map. The beach at Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, on
Shark Bay, has long been visited by wild
bottlenose dolphins. The shallow waters make it easy to observe the animals in
their natural environment, making the area a draw to
researchers and tourists. There are
sections of beach where one can swim with dolphins, but interactions
with them are strictly controlled.
© 2000 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.
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