SHELL BEACH - SHARK BAY WA

 Not far from Hamelin Pool towards Denham, we came across another World Heritage site, Shell Beach, a beautiful place of crystal clear waters and  brilliantly white "sands". The sand is in fact trillions of tiny Cockle shells of the species Fragum erugatum. The same hypersaline waters as exist at Hamelin Pool has allowed the cockle to proliferate since it's natural predators could not adapt to the environment. It is said that the shells reach a depth of 7 to 10 metres and over time, the shells have formed a limestone that is known as Coquina. If it is a sunny day you will surely need sunglasses as the reflection from the shells is dazzling.
(Click on a photo to enlarge)