downunder-westernexcursion
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3-4 Jan 2017: Monkey Mia/Shark Bay
ꯐꯣꯉꯈ꯭ꯔꯦ꯫: 16.01.2017
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The next stop was Monkey Mia/Shark Bay. To explain: Shark Bay is located on a peninsula and is the name of this coastal region. Monkey Mia is simply a holiday resort. The special thing about this place is the dolphins that appear on the beach every day and are fed in front of the public. But let's start from the beginning. After another few hours of driving, we arrived at the beginning of the peninsula, where we could see the so-called stromatolites. Without background knowledge, it looks unusual but also unspectacular.
The special thing about stromatolites is their "builders". These are called cyanobacteria, which produce sedimentary rocks through their metabolism. Their heyday dates back 2.5 billion years in the past. Cyanobacteria were the first organisms to use photosynthesis on a larger scale and some books even refer to them as their "inventors". As a result, oxygen molecules were produced, which were massively released by the large occurrence of these bacteria. Consequently, a new composition of our Earth's atmosphere was created, which ultimately made life on land possible. The main part of oxygen production has now been taken over by plants and the number of cyanobacteria has significantly declined. In fact, there are only a handful of places in the world where they can be found. And that is exactly what is special about this place. So you stand there and look at these rocks. With the background knowledge and the very calm sea, you somehow get a certain feeling. This is the origin, the reason why there is life on land. We owe all of this to these bacteria, who are currently busy building on the stromatolites. And the only activity that can be observed are occasional bubbles of oxygen rising.
Arriving in Monkey Mia in the evening, there was just enough time to enjoy the sunset.
The next day, the dolphin feeding was already scheduled for 7:30 am. Admittedly, the experience was somewhat disappointing. The whole thing is so touristy that it hardly feels like a "special" experience. But this point is now ticked off and a dolphin even came close to the camera.
In the early morning hours, a group of pelicans gathered on the beach. They wanted to grab some food as well.
Then we continued the trip and visited the only town in Shark Bay, which is Denham. It was actually quite nice to see. The buildings clearly indicated good income from tourism in this area. From there, the various bays and beaches are quickly accessible, some of which we also visited. One of them was Shell Beach, which is actually made up entirely of broken shells.
The highlight of Shark Bay, however, was the visit to the aquarium. Here, we were provided with informative and entertaining lectures about the animals living here. For example, clownfish are always male from birth. Only the strongest one in a group changes sex and becomes the leader as a female. That's why Nemo could only be a boy. Another interesting information was the recommended treatment for stonefish injuries. If you ever step on one, it is advisable to cook the foot with water. Like eggs, the poison coagulates and can no longer enter the bloodstream.
The real highlight, however, was the shark feeding. It's truly impressive to see a 1.50-meter-long shark jumping out of the water and biting into a fish. The swimming style is also an indication of a certain elegance. Compared to what I have seen so far, only sea lions can come close (in terms of agility). By the way, Lengfurt guys, it's time for another shark movie night. I'm really in the mood for the theme song from Supershark.
After that, the trip continued north before 1:00 pm. The next stop was Carnarvon with its blowholes located 50 km away (which is considered close by Western Australia standards).
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