Monkey Mia is a popular tourist resort located within the Shark Bay Marine Park in Shark Bay, 800 kilometres north of Perth.
The main attraction that draws thousands of visitors here each year is the opportunity to feed the dolphin-apalines that have been swimming to the shore every day for the past 40 years waiting for a treat.
The word "mia" means "home" or "shelter" in the local Aboriginal language, while "monkey" probably comes from the name of a pearl-fishing vessel that anchored in these parts in the late 19th century when the pearl industry was flourishing. There is also a theory that the "monkey" part of the resort's name comes from the little monkeys kept by Malay divers who fished for pearls here.
From the late 19th century, Monkey Mia was used as a base for the fish and pearl industries. In the 1960s, a local fisherman and his wife began baiting bottlenose dolphins, also known as bottlenose dolphins, when they returned from fishing. When news spread that the dolphins were making regular appearances off the coast, many tourists flocked here to admire the spectacle. An information centre was built in 1985, and in 1990 the waters of Monkey Mia became part of the Shark Bay Marine Park.
In recent years, much attention has been paid to the Aboriginal history of these areas - several walking trails have been laid out for tourists, introducing the culture and life of the indigenous peoples of Manki Mia - the Aboriginal Malgana tribe.
Monkey Mia is also a natural laboratory where the biological and behavioural aspects of dolphin-apaline life are studied. A related research project was launched in 1982, involving renowned scientists from Australia, North America and Europe.
An 8-minute boat ride across Red Cliff Bay is a pearl farm, the only one of its kind in Western Australia, where you can not only learn about how pearls are mined or grown, but also buy your favourite pieces.
