Wild bottlenose dolphins visit the shore at Monkey Mia Reserve, creating one of Australia's best known wildlife experiences.
You can see these endearing creatures up close during the morning dolphin viewing experiences.
Times for the dolphin experiences depend on if and when the dolphins visit the beach. While they are only offered fish during their first three visits between 7:45am and 12 noon, they often visit the beach outside these times. Parks and Wildlife Service staff hand out a limited number of fish to people standing in the shallows, which are then offered to the dolphins. This ensures that the dolphins continue to forage for a large proportion of their food.
There are two main family groups that frequent the shallows, but over 3000 dolphins live in the bay. For more than 30 years, researchers have been based at Monkey Mia for several months of the year and have documented some extraordinary dolphin behaviour. Learn more about the dolphins, and other features of the surrounding Shark Bay Marine Park, at the Monkey Mia Visitor Centre.
A choice of long and short walk trail loops take in coastal sandplain, red sand dune and a quiet beach. Keen beach walkers can also walk to Red Cliff Bay, in Francois Peron National Park. The glowing red cliff is visible to the north of Monkey Mia.
Entry fees to the Monkey Mia Reserve are used for the management and care of the dolphins.
A range of privately-operated food, accommodation and other services are available within the reserve.
Things to do and see at Monkey Mia.
For more information on the area, including itineraries and a virtual tour, go to
Shark Bay World Heritage Area
This information was provided by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions: dpaw.wa.gov.au