inlet of the Indian Ocean, Western Australia. It is sheltered on the west by Bernier, Dorre, and Dirk Hartog islands. Peron Peninsula bisects the bay. Geographe Channel forms the bay entrance north of Bernier Island. The principal port along the bay is Carnarvon, at the mouth of the Gascoyne River. Explored in 1616 by the Dutch navigator Dirk Hartog, the bay was named (1699) by the pirate William Dampier for its numerous sharks. Pearling, once important, has given way to fishing (prawns, crayfish, whiting, snapper). Salt extraction is a significant industry, and sheep graze on the shore. Shark Bay shire bounds the bay to the south and southeast. Shark Bay was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991.