Hamelin Bay is a small town in Western Australia’s South West that’s home to a large population of friendly stingrays. The rays can be seen swimming and feeding in the bay’s shallow water year-round. Although stingrays are the main attraction, there are other things to do in Hamelin Bay, including swimming, fishing, and snorkelling.
This small settlement was once a port servicing the timber industry between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin. However, the open sea mixed with violent storms was catastrophic for the shipping vessels. A particularly bad storm on 22 July 1900 sank three ships, leading to the port being closed.
Hamelin Bay now only consists of its beautiful beach, a camping area, a kiosk, and toilets.
Updated December 2022.
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Location of Hamelin Bay Western Australia
Hamelin Bay is in Western Australia’s South West, on the coast between Margaret River and Augusta.
Entry to Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is free.
International and domestic visitors will fly into Perth Airport. Find details about visas, prohibited items, currency, and safety in this Australia Travel Guide and tips on arriving into WA and other essential travel information in this Western Australia Travel Guide.
There are car hire booths at Perth airport, but it’s best to pre-book your car rental. Choose from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt, Hertz, Enterprise, and Thrifty.
To compare rental car company prices, I use Discover Cars, an award-winning car rental comparison website. They offer competitive pricing in over 10,000 locations worldwide and are have a high rate of customer satisfaction. Another option is Rentalcars.
Drivenow is a good resource to compare campervan hire in Western Australia as it includes all the large companies like Britz, Maui, Jucy as well as smaller ones.
It will take you just over a 3-hour drive from Perth and half an hour from the Margaret River region.
You can add Hamelin Bay onto a Perth to Margaret River road trip or Perth to Albany via Margaret River.
Things to do in Hamelin Bay Western Australia
Hamelin Bay Stingrays
Snorkel around the bay and let these friendly creatures swim around you. If you don’t feel comfortable snorkelling, at certain times, they head in close to shore to feed on the scraps left behind by fishermen. Your best chance of seeing them is between the boat ramp and the old Hamelin Bay jetty.
You do need to time it, though, as the water can be quite choppy in the late afternoon – they prefer calmer water, and it’s harder to spot them when the ocean is rough. A summer morning, when an easterly wind is blowing, is your best chance of seeing them when the ocean is clear and calm.
Just remember they are wild animals and have venomous barbs, so don’t get too close to them and don’t touch them. Although they are not normally aggressive, they will defend themselves if they feel threatened. Also, feeding them (or any other wildlife) is illegal in Western Australia.
Tip: If you miss seeing them at Hamelin Bay, head down the road to Augusta. They sometimes come into the Blackwood River to feed on fish scraps outside the Turner Holiday Park. You might also see Dolphins and Pelicans here.
Fishing at Hamelin Bay
The beach is packed with fishermen in Autumn for the annual Salmon Run. It is such a huge event that recreational fishermen contribute a staggering $331 million to the State’s economy each year. Schools of migrating Western Australian Salmon, which are different from the pink-fleshed Atlantic salmon, attract many visitors to the Southwest.
Look at the images by SouthWestSaltWater; it’s incredible to see.
If you fish close to shore in a small boat, you might catch Herring, Whiting, and Skippy. Further out, there is great fishing for Dhufish (my favourite), Pink Snapper, Samson Fish, and Queen Snapper.
Diving & Snorkelling at Hamelin Bay
Advanced divers will love the fantastic wreck dives – there are 11 wrecks to explore in the Hamelin Bay Wreck Trail.
Hiking near Hamelin Bay
The Cape to Cape Track runs through Hamelin Bay beach, so why not walk part of it? It’s a 13 km return trail to Cosy Corner, which will take approximately 4 hours. The walk involves some short, steep sections, but you will be rewarded with magnificent views.
Hamelin Bay Observation Deck
A short walk along the Cape to cape track leads you to the Hamelin Bay Observation Deck. From here, you have stunning ocean views of the bay and an information panel on the history.
Hamelin Bay Facilities
There are public toilets, a boat ramp, and a kiosk to buy snacks. However, there are no BBQs or grassed areas for picnics.
Visiting Augusta from Hamelin Bay
Explore Augusta and the Blackwood River, where you can visit a lighthouse, fish, surf, or relax by the river.
Read this guide on things to do in Augusta for more information and outdoor activities.
Explore the Margaret River region
The region of Margaret River is known for its natural beauty and breathtaking views. The area features numerous wineries, beautiful farmland, stunning beaches, and majestic forests. You can enjoy the coastal scenery, explore limestone caves or go fishing- whatever your interests are, there’s no shortage of excitement in the Margaret River Region.
Plan your day trip with this guide on things to do in Margaret River.
Camping and Accommodation near Hamelin Bay
Hamelin Bay Holiday Park offers a range of camping sites and self-catering accommodation. The camping grounds have amenities, washing facilities, a kiosk, a playground, barbecues, and a camp kitchen.
If you don’t want to stay at a caravan park, Augusta has a large variety of accommodation to suit all needs and budgets.
If you want to stay in a hotel, I suggest staying in Margaret River – these are our choices for the best accommodation in Margaret River.
Hamelin Bay Weather
The hottest months are in our summer (Dec-Feb) where the average highs are 36°C. March, April & November still have warm 30°C days and would suit you better if you don’t like the heat.
The coldest months are in winter (June to August). During this time, the temperature will be around 21°C and a minimum of 9°C.
The most rain falls between May and August.
Western Australia’s South West Travel Guide
This detailed travel guide provides information on all the regions that make up Australia’s South West. Read about the destinations, including what to do and where to stay.
Western Australia Travel Guide
For other ideas on where to visit in Western Australia along with the best things to do, where to stay, how to get around, and other essential information, click on the link below.
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Travel Guides: As well as using online resources, like other travel blogs, I like to flick through a paper travel guide too. I either rent them from our local library or buy them from Bookdepository if I want to take it with me.
Accommodation: We mainly use Booking.com for accommodation as they consistently have the lowest rates with free cancellation on most properties. We also book through Stayz for private accommodation as they are usually cheaper than Airbnb.
Car Rental: To compare rental car company prices, we use Discover Cars, an award winning car rental comparison website. They offer competitive pricing in over 10,000 locations worldwide and are highly-rated. Another option is Rentalcars.com
Campervan Rental:Drivenow is a good resource to compare campervan hire in Western Australia as it includes all the large companies like Britz, Maui, Jucy as well as smaller ones.
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Sounds like some fantastic wildlife to see out there as well as lovely coastal scenery. We get excited when we see one or two stingrays coming into the lagoon off Wellington harbour! What’s more, your winter temperatures sound like our summer ones 🙂 🙂
We are so lucky with our weather here, not sure I could live back in England now haha
what an interesting history of hamelin bay! i love the diversity of marine life you can see there. I’d love to see some stingrays or pelicans. the salmon run sounds incredible too!
what a nice place for a beach holiday with plenty of activities 🙂
Just one of our lovely beaches
I’ve yet to visit Australia Wendy and I’m happy that you’ve put Hamelin Bay on my radar. I’d give anything to be by the beach right now too; it was interesting reading about its history, and you’re absolutely right, it’s more than just a beach.
Thank you Lisa
Absolutely gorgeous location. I always think I’ll be at the mercy of stingrays if I went near them. Thoughts of the crocodile hunter.
I was contemplating mentioning Steve Irwin but decided against it.
I’m with John on thoughts about the sad connection between Steve Irwin and Australian stingrays , but I would love to see them from the edge of those beautiful shores.
It was devastating. I can still remember vividly where I was at the precise moment I heard about it. It took me a long time to get over my fear of them after that but it is a pretty rare occurrence.
I went to Western Australia a few years ago but never heard of Hamelin Bay! Looks amazing, and the snorkelling and diving would be right up my street!
It’s right down past Margaret River so a bit out of the way.
What a wonderful place and post! Thanks for sharing
Thank you for reading.
The stingrays at Hamelin Bay would be exciting to see! The hiking, snorkeling, and diving opportunities sound appealing. Though I could probably just lounge on that beautiful beach and be perfectly happy too!
Something for everyone!
I would love to go snorkling there to see the Stingrays. I wish I knew anything about diving to see shipwrecks although the thought of breathing from an air tank terrifies me.
I’ve only ever done an introductory dive and went down to 10m. That was enough for me. Dave’s done a few wreck dives though.
What a lovely place, Wendy! It is so cold in British Columbia right now, that I wish we could be in snorkeling in Hamelin Bay right now!
It’s cold and raining here today so I wouldn’t mind being on a beach somewhere warm too.
I am finding so many new spots to visit in Australia. Makes me even sadder we had to cancel our trip this year. I would love to see stingrays in a more natural environment so a stop at Hamelin Bay sounds perfect. Especially if there were dolphins around! We loved our scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. But might want to try Hamelin Bay for wreck diving. So many reasons to plan a long return visit!
I hope you manage to visit soon Linda. There are some great wreck dives around Western Australia and the reef at Exmouth is supposedly as good (if not better) than the Great Barrier Reef.
Hamelin Bay looks so beautiful and has some of my favorite activities! I would enjoy scuba diving the wrecks, swimming with sting rays and go for a hike. Thank you for introducing this lovely spot to me!
Thank you Vanessa. I know you would really love diving the wrecks.