Formed from billions of tiny shells, the aptly named Shell Beach is located 45 kilometres south-east of Denham in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area not far from the Hamelin Pool Stromatolites.
Why is it called Shell Beach?
This beautiful snow-white beach is made up of millions of tiny shells up to 10 metres deep and stretching for over 70 kilometres. There is no sand, only shells!
Shell Beach is one of only a handful of places on earth where shells replace beach sand in such a dramatic and picturesque way. A walk on Shell Beach is like no other. Incredibly, the beach is made up of shells from the Shark Bay cockle, making it truly unique.
In the early 1900s, the shells were quarried and hard packed, cut into blocks and used to construct a number of historic buildings in the nearby town of Denham, some of which can still be seen today such as the Old Pearler Restaurant.
Good for Swimming?
On a still day, the ocean at Shell Beach transforms into a palette of the most intense greens and blues - and the water is very salty (hypersaline), making it easy to float for those who aren’t strong swimmers - similar to the Dead Sea in Jordan.
You can fly with Regional Express to Denham from Perth or it takes about 10 hours to drive from Perth. Visit the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery and Visitor Centre website or call +61 8 9948 1590, for further information about Shell Beach.
