Hamelin Pool and Stromatolites, Shark Bay, WA

Hamelin Pool and Stromatolites, Shark Bay, WA

Part 1-- Hamelin Pool and Stromatolites, Shark Bay

http://jeffchentramp.blogspot.co.nz/2016/07/hamelin-pool-and-stromatolites-shark.html

Part 2-- Shell Beach & Eagle Bluff, Shark Bay

http://jeffchentramp.blogspot.co.nz/2016/07/shell-beach-eagle-bluff-shark-bay-wa.html

Part 3-- Francois Peron National Park - Denham & Monkey Mia, Shark Bay

http://jeffchentramp.blogspot.co.nz/2016/07/francois-peron-national-park-denham.html

Shark Bay World Heritage Area

Shark Bay World Heritage Area became Western Australia's first world heritage listed area in 1991. It covers 2.2 million hectares (2.2 square km) on the coast of Western Australia and is located approximately 800 km north of Perth, on the westernmost point of the Australia continent. Its colorful and diverse landscapes are home for animals and plants, including some found nowhere else on Earth. Its vast seagrass meadows feed and shelter globally endangered species.

The major geographical features and highlights in the area include:

(1) Hamelin Pool and Stromatolites

(2) Shell Beach & Eagle Bluff

(3) Denham & Monkey Mia

(4) Francois Peron National Park

Hamelin Pool and Stromatolites

Hamelin Pool is home to the most diverse and abundant examples of living stromatolites in the world. Referred to as 'living fossils', these creatures are monuments to life on Earth over 3500 million years ago, a time when no other complex creatures were present on the planet. They are rock-like structures built by microbes (single-celled cyanobacteria) which were the first life forms to appear on Earth. The cyanobacteria trap sediments with mucous to form enormous mats or great reefs of rock-like structures called stromatolites. At first glance these don’t even seem to be living. Each structure is actually a very slow growing microbial colony that may grow less than 1 mm per year.

You can see the stromatolites easily at Hamelin Pool where a 200m boardwalk provides access to their marine environment. Boolagoorda Walking Track is a 1.5km loop track linking the Old Telegraph Station with the stromatolite boardwalk.