Monkey Mia Western Australia
A protected marine park and a popular tourist destination. Famed for the frequent and regular appearance of dolphins to the shallows.
At a Glance
Monkey Mia is perhaps one of the most well known and sought after destination if one were to go for a road trip to the north of Perth. Monkey Mia will be a special experience for those who want to retreat from their busy lives.
The main attraction at Monkey Mia is no doubt the Bottlenose Dolphin that comes upshore on regular basis. Everyday, dolphins would swim to the shore where it is within reach of the visitors. Here you can get up close to the dolphins and hand feed them. Monkey Mia is also fantastic for beach leisure activities as it is almost always clear and sunny.
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Where is Monkey Mia?
Monkey Mia is 900 kilometres north of Perth.
Monkey Mia is located on the eastern coast of the Peron Peninsula in the Shark Bay World Heritage site, it is 25 kilometres away from the town of Denham. One of the best ways to get to Monkey Mia is to hire a car from Perth Airport or flying to Shark Bay airport, which is 18km from Monkey Mia.
Things to see in Monkey Mia
Friendly Dolphins
The Bottlenose Dolphins at Monkey Mia are world renowned for their willingness and regularity of coming up to shore to interact with humans. You can have the unique opportunity to hand feed the friendly dolphins with fish provided by the Department of Parks and Wildlife. Only limited people are allowed to feed the dolphins so do be quick!
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Monkey Mia Beach
While the dolphins are the main attraction of the area, there are plenty of other animals that you can admire. You may be able to spot rays, dugongs, turtles and even shark in the water. Adjacent to the water, there are a high chance of you being able to spot lots of pelicans or even emus. A quick fun fact, did you know that even though emus cannot fly, they can swim?
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Wulyibidi Yaninyina Trail
After viewing the dolphins, there are still much that can be done at Monkey Mia, you can go for a swim in the clear blue water, or you can go for a walk along the beautiful Wulyibidi Yaninyina Trail. It starts from the car park at Monkey Mia and brings you across different types of landscape. You will pass through the red dunes, acacia shrubland and the coast itself, with opportunity to admire the birds in the area. You can also learn about the Aboriginal as well as European history of the region here.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Tours and Cruises
Being such a popular destination, many other sorts of entertainment for holiday-goers are also provided. Multitudes of tours are available, including astronomy tours on the beach, an outback 4WD tour, a national park tour, an air tour and much more. You can also go on a cruise on a sailboat, or on the Aristocat 2.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
What's the weather like?
Both being on the Peron Peninsula, Monkey Mia and Denham experiences the similar semi-arid climate. It is warm and dry in summer, with more rainfall during the winter as the cold fronts move in from the Indian Ocean. In Summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 31°C with an average minimum temperature of 23°C. In Winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 22°C with an average minimum temperature of 5°C.
Get to know Monkey Mia's history
The name Monkey Mia had its origin partly in the Aboriginal language, with the second part of the name ‘Mia’ meaning ‘home’ or ‘shelter’. There are few theories about the origin of the first part, but none was found to be conclusive. The area was originally designated as a base to fish and to gather pearls in 1890.
Monkey Mia’s rise to fame began in the 1960s when a fisherman and his spouse began feeding Bottlenose Dolphins on their return from fishing trips. Many came to see these dolphins when they heard about dolphins coming inshore. Actions were taken to by the government to improve the infrastructure in the area for better accessibility. The area was declared a Marine Park in 1990 and were administered by the government. Today, Monkey Mia is a popular tourist destination to get up close with dolphins that regularly surface to the shallows multiple times a day.