Dolphins, Monkey Mia and the Francios Peron National Park, Shark Bay, Western Australia

 Hi everyone, I hope you and yours are doing well. Last year, 2025, way back in September, October and November I brought to you blog posts about our trip up along the Coral Coast of Western Australia. You can find those posts by searching in the Blog Archive on the right hand side of this page. 

My last post of this trip, in November 2025, and was about Denham and surrounds in the Shark Bay area of Peron Peninsula - a UNESCO world-heritage listed area. If you missed it you can catch up here - Denham, Shark Bay, Peron Peninsula. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to it. 

Today I finally bring you, as promised the second part of our tour to the Peron Peninsula - visiting the dolphins at Monkey Mia, a drive out to Point Peron. 

To get you orientated again - here is the map - 

Shark Bay (Gathaagudu), is the traditional home of the Malgana Aboriginal people. 

Monkey Mia is located on the eastern side of the Peron Peninsula about 23 kilometres via a bitumen road from the township of Denham. 

Why Monkey Mia?   Mia is the indigenous name for shelter or resting place. It is thought that a ship called the Monkey may have docked in the bay around 1834 when in search of the Zuytdorp shipwreck. The area was used by early pastoralists for loading and unloading sheep. According to the Macquarie Dictionary, the term Monkey is a colloquialism for Sheep. 

You must pay a Conservation Parks Pass entry fee at the gate to enter Monkey Mia. This fee contributes to ongoing care, management, welfare and research of the Conservation Park and its wildlife. The RAC Monkey Mia Resort is located on this land. 

We first visited Monkey Mia in 1986, parked our caravan just off the beach, and had dolphins around us every day - it is a little different today. 

This seems to be the only recent photo I have of the Monkey Mia resort as it is today.  

The resort has all the facilities you could possibly want - rooms, cabins, powered and unpowered caravan sites, restaurant, bar, swimming pools, general store, childrens' playground, recreation room, souvenir and gift shop, kayak hire, tours, walk trails, fishing (outside of the sanctuary zone), and a lovely long beach to walk along. 

The dolphin experience - The dolphins at Monkey Mia are Bottlenose Dolphins. They have been visiting the Monkey Mia beach since the 1960s when fishers returning to Monkey Mia began sharing their catch with the dolphins. 

This is a bottlenose dolphin fishing in the shallows along the beach. 

Starting from 7.45am daily, there are up to three dolphin feedings between 7.45am and 12 noon, depending on when the dolphins visit the shore. Meet at the boardwalk and seating area next to the jetty for the dolphin experience talk, and wait to be asked to come down to the beach into the Dolphin Experience area where swimming is prohibited. 

When we visited in 1986, there were many fish given out to the dolphins during the day. Today the feeding is limited to up to five female dolphins from two families who are offered small amounts of fish, and only fed by wildlife officers or volunteers. This small feed amount ensures the dolphins continue to behave and hunt naturally and teach their young hunting and social skills. 

Though it is disappointing for visitors not to be allowed to feed the dolphins - I get it. People began sharing their catch with the dolphins in the 1960s. Between 1983 and 1994 only four out of 15 calves born to beach visiting dolphins survived. These calves were not learning survival skills to catch their own fish. Research and close monitoring was introduced in 1994, and since 1995 survival of calves of beach visiting dolphins and those that do not, is similar. 

There is lots of information at the Visitor Centre where you can learn more 

This photo I took from the jetty. Staff ask if a dolphin approaches you while you are swimming, remain still or preferably please leave the water. Leave the water if dolphins are fishing in the shallows. Do not touch the dolphins and do not feed them. Please supervise children and keep pets on a lead at all times. 

This cheeky pelican follows dolphins up and down the beach as they fish in the shallows, hoping to snare of fish stirred up by the dolphins. 

There are several nature cruises you can do from Monkey Mia. We joined one when we visited in 2021. The dolphins surfed alongside the boat. This was not new to us, as we have dolphins where we live in Bunbury, and we often have them around our boat, however it was a lovely morning out on the water. 

We were thrilled to see a dugong. It came right up by the boat where we were standing by the rail, but quickly disappeared. This was exciting as we had never seen one in the wild before. 

Dugong are a large, grey brown, bulbous mammal with a flattened fluked tail, no dorsal fin, paddle like flippers and distinctive head shape. The broad flat muzzle and mouth are angled down for grazing along the seabed. Eyes and ears are small. 

You can find out more about the Dugong and see a better photo here - Australian Museum-Dugong

If you have a 4WD you can drive out to the Francois Peron National Park, known as Wulyibidi by the local Malgana Aboriginal people who occupied the area prior to European settlement and continue to live in Shark Bay today.

François Péron (1775–1810) was a French naturalist, explorer and scientist. He visited Shark Bay as part of Nicolas Baudin's expedition on the corvette Géographe, in July 1801 and March 1803. During these visits, he conducted extensive scientific research, including anthropological observations of the Malgana people and zoological studies of the area's wildlife and took thousands of specimens back to France. 

Peron Peninsula was a sheep station until 1990 when it was purchased by the State Government. Francois Peron National Park was declared in 1993.

Access to the park is on the Monkey Mia Road about 4kms from Denham. You require a WA Park's Pass to access the park. 

The park is make up of acacia-cloaked red sands dunes and arid shrublands surrounded by turquoise water. 

Before you head out on the track visit the Peron Heritage Precinct, which gives you a glimpse of the former pastoral days. You can see the shearing shed and stock yards, and there is a hot tub.  A small interpretive centre introduces the culture, history and nature of the area. You can also learn here about Project Eden which aims to eradicate feral animals and bring the land back to its original environment. 

The track is soft and sandy, please let your tyres pressures down at the tyre pressure station at the start of the track. You can pump them up again here on your way out.  Beware of oncoming traffic. 

You might see some native animals - below you can see the Thorny Devil, a blue tongued skink, and an emu. If you see an emu wondering around the caravan park, please do not feed them, keep your belongings, food and rubbish secured, supervise your children and pets. They may approach you looking for food, and they can be aggressive. 

The tip of the Peron Peninsula is stunning characterised by red sand hills, white beach sand, and blue ocean and sky. Please note only access the Peninsula if you have a 4WD. Plan for a day trip, make sure you have enough fuel, and carry food and water. Pets are not permitted in the park. Poisonous baits are laid regularly to eradicate feral animals through the Western Shield program. 

From the two clifftop lookouts at Skipjack Point you might be lucky enough to see turtles, manta rays, sharks, dugongs, dolphins and schools of fish. Swimming is not recommended at the cape due to two strong currents. 

There are some beach campsites along the Peninsula. You can find out more here - Camping areas -Shark Bay. These are great places for fishing and beach walking, but the sand is boggy getting onto the beach from the track.  We saw someone requiring a tow to get off the beach. 

Please be aware there are no supplies, services or fresh water within the park. Take all you need in with you and please take all of your rubbish out when leaving. Fires, firearms and pets are not allowed. 

There are several walk trails at Monkey Mia - ranging from 1.1km return walk, to a 2.45km loop trail - starting at the back of the resort at the World Heritage Garden, the long loop takes you up into the red sandhills, and then back along the beach - ask for a map.   If you are exploring the walk trails, please take adequate drinking water, wear a hat, loose long-sleeved clothing, and apply sunscreen. 

Thankyou for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed today's post - next time I am going to take you on a spectacular whale watching tour! 

For more information:

Discover World Heritage Shark Bay

Shark Bay - Attractions

Monkey Mia - Shark Bay

Discover Monkey Mia

RAC-Monkey Mia resort

Australian Museum - Dugong

Camping areas Shark Bay

Explore Parks - Francois Peron National Park

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