The Shark Bay World Heritage Area supports extraordinary biodiversity, with more than 100 reptile and amphibian species, 240 bird species, over 320 fish species, and rich marine life including corals and bivalves. Its land and sea environments provide critical habitat for migratory shorebirds from the Northern Hemisphere and visiting humpback whales.
Shark Bay is also a global refuge for threatened wildlife, including dugongs, loggerhead and green turtles, and four land mammal species that survive naturally nowhere else in the world.
Mammals
Shark Bay’s waters are home to resident dugongs and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, with humpback whales migrating through annually. The region’s islands play a vital role in mammal conservation: Bernier and Dorre islands protect the last natural populations of several critically endangered species, while Salutation, Faure and Peron Peninsula support successful reintroductions.
Following the eradication of feral animals, Dirk Hartog Island has become a major restoration success, now hosting reintroduced populations of wallabies, bandicoots and small carnivorous marsupials, with further species planned to return as part of long-term conservation programs.
Reptiles & Amphibians
At least 100 reptile and amphibian species occur in Shark Bay, including one-third of Australia’s dragon lizards and several sand-swimming skinks found nowhere else. Many species are at the edge of their geographic range, while others are newly described by science.
Marine reptiles are also prominent, with six species of sea snake and more than 6,000 marine turtles. Shark Bay is one of Australia’s most important breeding areas for endangered loggerhead turtles, while green turtles are commonly seen feeding in sheltered bays.
Birds
More than 240 bird species—around 35% of Australia’s total—have been recorded in Shark Bay. These range from small desert finches to large seabirds and include species found nowhere else, such as the Dorre Island rufous fieldwren.
Each spring, tens of thousands of migratory birds arrive from the Northern Hemisphere, while resident seabirds, raptors and waterbirds breed year-round. With its mix of coastal, marine and arid habitats, Shark Bay is a standout destination for birdwatching.
Fish & Sharks
Shark Bay’s marine diversity reflects the meeting of warm tropical and cooler southern waters. More than 320 fish species inhabit its bays and reefs, supporting both recreational and commercial fisheries as well as vibrant snorkelling and diving experiences.
Sharks are a defining feature of the region, with at least 28 species recorded. These iconic predators, first noted by European explorers in the 1600s, can still be seen today from coastal lookouts such as Eagle Bluff and Skipjack Point, especially during summer.
Invertebrates
Invertebrates are extraordinarily diverse across the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, both on land and in the sea. Surveys have recorded high numbers of spiders, millipedes and centipedes, including more than 160 species of ground spiders and dozens of trapdoor spiders. Beneath the water, reefs around Dirk Hartog, Bernier and Dorre islands support more than 80 coral species, ranging from hard corals such as plate, brain and staghorn corals to soft corals, sponges, nudibranchs, anemones and brittle stars.
Shark Bay’s invertebrates are also vital to its ecology and economy. Prawns, scallops, squid and lobsters underpin important commercial and recreational fisheries, while pearl oysters are farmed in the region. Intertidal flats host rich communities of crabs and snails, and shallow sandy waters support at least 218 species of bivalves, including the iconic Fragum cockle, whose shells form the famous beaches of Hamelin Pool and L’haridon Bight.
