PARKS AND WILDLIFE

Dugong

Named after the French Zoologist who accompanied the Nicolas Baudin scientific expedition to Southern and Western Australia in 1801 - the Francois Peron National Park covers some 52,500 hectares at the northern extreme of the Peron Peninsula. Under the care of the Department of Conservation and Land Management (C.A.L.M.) this area has become one of the most important natural areas in Australia and is home to many rare and endangered species. Access to the Park is limited to 4-wheel drive vehicles beyond the old Peron Station Homestead.

Regular 4-wheel drive nature based tours and cruises to the more remote areas of the Park may be booked through the Shark Bay World Heritage Tours. 

Green Turtle

All visitors are encouraged to allow a little extra time to discover why Shark Bay has been called a VERY SPECIAL PLACE ON EARTH. 

Being at the northern extreme of the southern wildflower varieties and at the southern extreme of the northern varieties - Shark Bay has the longest wildflower season of any part of Western Australia and has over 700 species of flowering plants of which over 150 species are of special scientific interest - many exclusive to the Shark Bay World Heritage Region.

Countless tiny white shells of the burrowing Bivalve (Fragum Erugafum) have formed beautiful white shell beaches which stretch for miles - some deposits are as much as ten metres deep. Shell Beach is easily accessible from the Denham Hamelin Road.

The purpose of project eden is to make Shark Bay's Peron Peninsula a haven for rare native animals, some of which today survive only in colonies on nearby offshore islands. These and other native animals have been driven to the brink of extinction by several factors, the big two culprits are the European fox and the feral cat.

Research by the Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management and other agencies has shown that control of these foreign predators is the linchpin to successfully conserving native animals. When fox and feral cat numbers are controlled, populations of small native animals increase rapidly... the key to the success of Project Eden is a vermin proof fence built across the narrow isthmus near Shell Beach. Using a baiting and trapping program foxes and cats have been removed from the peron peninsula and many of the small animals thought to be endangered or extinct are again being seen. Escorted tours of the Peron Peninsula are available most days.

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