Hamelin Pool Stromatolites

Hamelin Pool is a unique photography gem sitting within the Shark Bay World Heritage Area that is home to some of the oldest living things on the planet. The stromatolites here are around 3.5 billion years old, built layer by layer by cyanobacteria at roughly half a millimetre per year. They thrive because the water here is twice as salty as normal seawater, which keeps out anything that would normally eat them. It is one of only two places on Earth where you can see living marine stromatolites. The boardwalk was damaged by Cyclone Seroja in 2021 and has been closed ever since so currently your shooting options are limited. You can still see the stromatolites from the shore near the old quarry, but the view is tricky. Low tide is when they are most visible, and a telephoto lens helps a lot from that distance. Photographically, this is more about what you are looking at than how it looks. At first glance they just seem like odd, dark, lumpy rocks in shallow water. The real draw is the story behind them, and getting that across in a photo takes some thought. Soft early morning or late afternoon light helps bring out the texture in the formations and the colour in the water. The nearby Boolagoorda Trail is a 1.4km loop that takes you past an old shell block quarry and the 1884 Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station, both worth shooting. Entry to the reserve is free. Because this is a sensitive area no swimming, fishing, or walking below the high water mark is allowed. (Hamelin Pool, Western Australia, Australia)