Lake Nabberu, Western Australia

Lake Nabberu, Shark Bay, Western Australia -7214

Hovering high above Lake Nabberu, the landscape unfolds like a dream carved by time and tide. Situated at the farthest western edge of the Australian continent, this part of Shark Bay reveals a subtle interplay of salt, sediment, and seagrass—a mosaic of muted colours and complex natural history best appreciated from the sky.

Though Lake Nabberu itself lies inland from the main marine embayment of Shark Bay, the broader region to which it belongs is one of the most extraordinary ecological treasures in the Southern Hemisphere. Shark Bay boasts three exceptional features that have drawn the attention of scientists and nature lovers alike.

First, its vast sea-grass beds—spanning an astonishing 4,800 square kilometres—are the largest and most diverse in the world. These underwater meadows are not only vital carbon sinks but also key habitats for one of the planet’s last strongholds of dugong, the gentle sea cows that graze like manatees on the ocean pastures.

Then there are the stromatolites—living fossils in shallow hypersaline bays—formed by ancient colonies of algae that trap and bind sediment. These dome-shaped structures are among the earliest evidence of life on Earth, offering a rare glimpse into the planet’s primordial past.

Seen from above, Shark Bay is not just a place—it’s a living archive. The salt lakes, coastal lagoons, and curving inlets draw temporary lines on the land, ever shifting with wind and evaporation. Lake Nabberu, with its stark, pale floor and fringes of blush-pink microbial mats, echoes this slow choreography of water and mineral. It’s a reminder that even the driest parts of Australia’s coast are etched with stories told in salt and silence.