Monkey MiaBrief History Monkey Mia is a coastal settlement located on the Peron Peninsula, near
Denham, Shark Bay, Western Australia. The first known mention of the name was in 1890, following a letter
from a pearler, who referred to the area as Monkey Mia. However, there seems to be some confusion over how
the area exactly got its unusual name. Some believe it was named after a schooner named "Monkey", which came
to Shark Bay in 1834. Others believe it was named after "monkey", a colloquialism for sheep. There was even a
rumour that it was named after a monkey that jumped ship in the area. It has even been suggested that it was
named after a local resident whose nickname was monkey. There seems to be little debate over the second word
Mia, which is an Aboriginal word meaning "shelter" or "resting place". Click here for more history of Monkey Mia and the dolphins.
Things You May Not Know About Monkey Mia In 1999 the classification of the Shark Bay dolphins was changed and are
know referred to as Indian Ocean or Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.
Important Links To Monkey MiaShire of Shark BayMonkey Mia Dolphin Resort Dolphins of Monkey Mia Research Foundation |
Western Australian Vista>Monkey Mia
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