Shark Bay, Western Australia

Big Lagoon, Shark Bay, Western Australia - 7330

At the farthest western reach of the Australian mainland lies a place where time stretches back billions of years and the rhythms of nature still reign supreme—Shark Bay, Western Australia. Among its many jewels, Big Lagoon offers a mesmerising aerial vista: a mosaic of shallow blue waters, white sandy banks, and subtly shifting tidal patterns, all encircled by low, ochre-toned dunes. From above, the scene resembles a delicate watercolour—one painted slowly by wind, salt, and sea.

Big Lagoon is more than just a stunning sight; it’s part of a broader UNESCO World Heritage landscape renowned for its extraordinary ecological and geological significance. Shark Bay harbours three standout natural features of global importance. Its sea-grass meadows, sprawling over 4,800 square kilometres, are the most extensive and richest on Earth. These underwater fields not only oxygenate the water but also sustain a teeming variety of marine life—including one of the world’s largest populations of dugongs, the gentle and elusive sea mammals often nicknamed ‘sea cows’.

But Shark Bay’s story goes back further still. Along the nearby shores of Hamelin Pool are stromatolites—living fossils that whisper of Earth’s ancient past. These dome-shaped colonies of algae have been slowly forming calcium carbonate structures for millennia, much like they did billions of years ago when they were among the first life forms to produce oxygen and help shape the planet’s atmosphere.

Seen from the air, Big Lagoon is more than a tranquil coastal scene; it’s a gateway to understanding the ancient and enduring connections between land, sea, and life. It is a place where the story of Earth is written not just in stone, but in water, seagrass, and sky.