If you are planning a visit to Hamelin Pool stromatolites in Western Australia, this article explains what stromatolites are, why they are important, and why this remote boardwalk in Shark Bay offers one of the deepest connections to early life on Earth.
First impressions at Hamelin Pool
Never has anything so important looked so staggeringly dull. Sure, the scene from the boardwalk at Hamelin Pool looks kinda pretty – there’s a dreamy end-of-the-worldness to it, with a series of blackened rocks disappearing into the super-salty waters of Shark Bay, Western Australia. But driving eight or nine hours from Perth to see them seems like a misguided exercise.
What the Hamelin Pool stromatolites actually are
They’re not rocks, however. They’re something altogether more important than that. They’re stromatolites – multi layered colonies of bacteria that all live off each other in one way or another. And without them, we probably wouldn’t be here.
The role stromatolites played in early life on Earth
Around 3,500 million years ago, the only forms of life on earth were extremely basic single cell organisms. Around that time, they started to form stromatolites, evolving as they interacted with each other in what can be seen as microbial mats.
The cyanobacteria making up these mats began to produce their own food via photosynthesis, absorbing carbon from carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the water.
How stromatolites changed the planet’s atmosphere
This created iron oxides which coated sediments that eventually turned to rock – the big red rocks of Western Australia’s outback formed this way – but it also started to change the make-up of the earth’s air.
There was nothing to eat the cyanobacteria in these stromatolites, so they mushroomed, greatly increasing the proportion of oxygen within the earth’s atmosphere.
From stromatolites to complex life
Between 2,000 and 1,700 million years ago, two forms of cyanobacteria merged into a new type of more complex organism, known as the eukaryote. Its cells were formed of a nucleus surrounded by a membrane – which is pretty much the building block for all life on earth as we know it now.
The long slow process to modern life had properly begun.
Putting the age of stromatolites into perspective
For an idea of timeframe, consider that dinosaurs were around between 230 million and 65 million years ago, while humans first appeared around 200,000 years ago.
Discovering stromatolite fossils would be an extraordinary delve into the past. That there are still living stromatolites that can be walked around on a boardwalk is on another level altogether.
Why Hamelin Pool stromatolites have survived
Living stromatolites are found in very few places around the world, and the most accessible cluster is in this lonely corner of Western Australia.
It’s a harsh environment, suitable only for extremophiles, where the big beds of sea grass ensure the water is far saltier than normal and the brutal summer heat regularly sends temperatures soaring. This has bought Hamelin Pool’s stromatolites a degree of protection over the years. They thrive because not all that much else does.
Walking the Hamelin Pool stromatolites boardwalk
Walking over the top of them may not provide much visual excitement, but the mental stimulation is there.
The stroll is not just one into the past, but one so far into ancient history that it goes back to the beginning of life itself.
Nearby attractions around Hamelin Pool
- Shell Beach: A shoreline made entirely of tiny white shells, located a short drive from Hamelin Pool.
- Shark Bay World Heritage Area: Explore dramatic coastal landscapes and wildlife across the wider region.
- Denham: The nearest town, offering access to boat trips and basic services.
- Francois Peron National Park: Known for red sand dunes, turquoise waters, and remote beaches.
- Eagle Bluff: A coastal lookout with views over shallow waters often visited by rays and sharks.
Useful information for visiting Hamelin Pool stromatolites
| What are stromatolites? | Stromatolites are layered colonies of bacteria that played a key role in producing oxygen on Earth. |
|---|---|
| Where are Hamelin Pool stromatolites located? | They are located at Hamelin Pool in Shark Bay, Western Australia. |
| Can you walk on the stromatolites? | No, visitors use a raised boardwalk to protect the living formations. |
| Why is the water at Hamelin Pool so salty? | Seagrass beds restrict water flow, increasing salinity and limiting predators. |
| Why are Hamelin Pool stromatolites important? | They provide a rare example of living structures similar to Earth’s earliest life forms. |
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More Western Australia travel
Other Western Australia travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- A tale of mutiny and murder on the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.
- What it’s like to swim with whale sharks.
- Why you should see the Pinnacles at night.
- Why I enjoyed the notorious drive across the Nullabor.
- A practical guide to the Museum of the Goldfields in Kalgoorlie.
