Shell Beach (Western Australia)

{{Short description|Beach in Western Australia}}

{{Full citations needed |date=April 2025}}

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

Image:A226, Shark Bay Marine Park, Western Australia, Shell Beach, 2007.JPG

Image:Shell Beach Western Australia.jpg shells of Shell Beach]]

Shell Beach is a beach in the Shark Bay region of Western Australia, located {{convert|45|km}} south-east of Denham.

Situated on the northeastern side of the Taillefer Isthmus along the L'Haridon Bight, the beach is covered with shells for a {{convert|60|km|adj=on}} stretch to a depth of {{convert|7|-|10|m}}. It is one of only two beaches in the world made entirely from shells.[http://www.discoverwest.com.au/western_australia/shell_beach.html Shell Beach Monkey Mia Western Australia Tourism Information Guide][http://www.australiaadventures.com/sharkbay.htm Shark Bay, Western Australia at Australia Adventures]{{Full citation needed |date=October 2024}}

The beach was named Shell Beach because of the great abundance of the shells of the cockle species Fragum erugatum. The seawater in the L'Haridon Bight has a high salinity due to both the geomorphology and local climate of the area. This high salinity has allowed the cockle to proliferate unchecked, since its natural predators have not adapted well to this environment.

The shells have formed a limestone that is known as coquina. Before Shark Bay became a World Heritage Site, the coquina was mined and used for the construction of a number of buildings in Denham.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110219213659/http://www.sharkbay.wa.gov.au/tourism/what_to_see_and_do/index.html Shire of Shark Bay - What to See and Do]{{Full citation needed |date=October 2024}}