Shell beach, 45km from Denham, in Shark Bay along Australia’s Coral Coast, is one of only a handful of places on earth where the beach is made entirely from shells. Stretching for over 70km, it is a very picturesque place, attracting many visitors. After 4000 years of being washed onto the beach, the shells have reached the depth of 9 meters in some places. Interestingly, the shells are from just one type of animal, the Shark Bay cockle, making the beach truly unique. The waters in Shell Beach are highly saline and shallow. This contributes to the incredible abundance of this marine species in just one place.
In early 1900s, before Shark Bay got its World Heritage listing, locals quarried and used shells for construction of buildings in nearby Denham.
We have visited Shell Beach a few times. During our last visit in April 2022 we noticed upgrades to the beach with the toilets and undercover picnic areas. The waters were too shallow for swimming at that time but kids had great fun playing with the shells.
Interestingly, just a few kilometers away from Shell Beach, but on the opposite side, there is a mini version of Shell Beach, where we camped in April. The place is Goulet Bluff.
