Way down the road is the turnoff for Shark Bay. Big walls like a flash housing development entrance... We made a little detour to Hamelin Pool at the bottom/south of Shark Bay. I have wanted to see stromatolites for as long as I can remember... There are only two places in the world where they are known to exist! This is one.
stromatolites or stromatoliths (/strɵˈmætoʊlaɪts/; from Greek στρώμα, strōma, mattress, bed, stratum, and λίθος, lithos, rock) are layered accretionary structures formed in shallow water by the trapping, binding and cementation of sedimentary grains by biofilms of microorganisms, especially cyanobacteria (commonly known as blue-green algae).[1] Stromatolites provide some of the most ancient records of life on Earth by fossil remains which date back more than 3.5 billion years ago.
Do you get how incredible that is? The microorganisms - bacteria, have been around for 3.5 billion years - and they generate oxygen, and have been doing so since there was little or no gaseous oxygen in the atmosphere. They helped make the environment in which we have evolved and live! Amazing. And there they are still at it in Hamelin Pool!!!!!
Back on track we get a few views of Shark Bay on the right and Denham gulf/ inlet/ bay on the left. Eventually get into Denham. We have a site up reasonably high with a view of the water... We have paid for three nights and will explore...
Only 1000 km from Perth (including planned) detours, of course...
