A Natural Icon
“I didn’t come here for dolphins.” It was a contentious statement to make in this part of the world. I had just entered Western Australia’s Shark Bay region, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its rare natural attractions such as Monkey Mia — a beachside haven for ever-friendly dolphins that attract tourists from all over to see. But was I not interested in its famous flippers?
“But, of course, I would be happy to see them,” I quickly followed up to my partner as we crossed over into the 26th parallel, a circle of latitude running east to west 26 degrees south of the equator. We were headed 823km north of Perth along the Coral Coast Highway and had just passed the lone brown road sign that stood on greenlit salt bush plains. In hindsight, it signified more than just a geographical positioning, pit stop photo-op, or edging a nose closer to dolphins.
“Shark Bay is Australia's largest bay, and a place where various magnificent natural phenomena intersect”
Shark Bay is Australia’s largest bay,
