Shark Bay Airport (MJK)

Departures from Shark Bay Airport (MJK) at a glance

• 2flights a day81st busiest of 111 airports
• 1route from here
• 1airline
• 12:25 – 19:00first and last00061218

Collected 29 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Shark Bay Airport (MJK) serves Denham, in the Shire of Shark Bay in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Regional Express (Rex) flies from it, and Rex's flight status tool lists the airport under the name Monkey Mia. The Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort says it offers an airport shuttle for a fee.

The Monkey Mia Dolphin Experience is managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), on the shores of the Shark Bay Marine Park. The Shire of Shark Bay says Shark Bay has been World Heritage listed since 13 December 1991.

Shark Bay Airport's operator, listings and runway

Airservices Australia's aerodrome entry for Shark Bay (issue of 3 September 2026) lists RTA Leisure Pty Ltd as the aerodrome operator. Its passenger facilities line lists a passenger lounge, toilets and accommodation under the name and phone number of the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort (08 9948 1320). It also lists a bus to town, described as a "local shuttle" (0412 626 074), and a hire car from Shark Bay Car Hire (0474 556 296).

Airservices' key to these listings notes that a hire car listed in an aerodrome entry may need a phone call after arrival. A Western Australian Government statement of 18 November 2018 said the runway had recently been widened from 23 metres to 30 metres.

Getting from the airport to the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort

The Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort says it offers an airport shuttle to and from the resort for a fee, which can be added to a resort booking at checkout. The aerodrome entry also lists a local shuttle and Shark Bay Car Hire, on the phone numbers above.

Direct domestic flights recorded from Shark Bay Airport

Direct domestic flights recorded from Shark Bay Airport go to:

Destination	Airport	Airline recorded
Carnarvon	Carnarvon Airport (CVQ)	Rex

The Western Australian regulated air services

The Western Australian Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (Transport WA) lists "Carnarvon and Monkey Mia Air Services" among the State's fully regulated air routes, and says Rex operates the services to 2 July 2028 (page updated 24 April 2026). On a fully regulated route the State awards exclusive rights through a competitive tender process, and the airline operates under a Deed of Agreement with the State Government for a set period. Airlines on these routes report monthly to the State, including their on-time performance and cancellations.

Flying Rex from Shark Bay Airport

Rex publishes its own rules for check-in, identification, baggage and disruption. The points below are from Rex's pages; check them again before you fly.

Check-in, boarding and identification

Rex says check-in closes 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time at its regional airports in Western Australia, and the boarding gate closes 15 minutes before. With checked bags, Rex recommends presenting them at check-in 60 minutes before departure. A passenger who is not ready at the boarding gate by the closing time is excluded from boarding and forfeits the fare, Rex says.

Web check-in opens 48 hours and closes 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Passengers with special requirements must check in at the airport.

Rex's Travel Requirements page says passengers aged 18 and over must present an acceptable form of identification, and the name on it must match the booking. A passenger without photographic ID can present two forms of non-photographic ID, and Rex accepts electronic copies on a device. Passengers aged 17 or under need no ID when travelling with, or presented at check-in by, an identifiable guardian.

Baggage

Rex sets its cabin and checked baggage allowances on its baggage page: check it for your fare before you pack.

Rex says carry-on baggage may be weighed and measured. A carry-on bag over the limit at the boarding gate is offloaded, treated as checked baggage and carried on the next available flight, and the passenger collects it from the airport on arrival. Rex also reserves the right to offload checked baggage within the allowance when the aircraft is restricted in how much baggage it can carry.

Special assistance and children travelling alone

Rex asks for special requirements at least 48 hours before the planned departure, made at booking on its website or through its Customer Contact Centre on 13 17 13. With later notice, Rex says it cannot guarantee the resources will be available.

Rex requires children aged 5 to 11 travelling alone to travel as unaccompanied minors, and teenagers aged 12 to 14 may ask to. Children under 5 must travel with an adult aged 15 or over. Online and kiosk check-in are not available for unaccompanied minors.

Delays and cancellations

Rex's Conditions of Carriage list inclement weather among events beyond its reasonable control, and say times of arrival and departure are not guaranteed. If Rex changes the flight schedule or cancels the flight booked, its conditions say the passenger may decide to cancel the ticket and obtain a full refund.

When Rex cancels, its disruption FAQ says it will try to offer a seat on another flight that day or another day, other transport such as a bus, or a flight to the nearest alternative Rex port. Rex does not pay hotel or taxi costs, and says refreshments or meals may not always be available at some of the regional airports it flies to. The same FAQ says Australian Consumer Law guarantees are not displaced.

Rex's flight status page shows disruptions and cancellations forecast for today and tomorrow, though disruptions of less than 15 minutes and some air traffic control delays may not be displayed.

Monkey Mia and the dolphins

The Monkey Mia Dolphin Experience

DBCA says visitors to Monkey Mia have enjoyed seeing wild dolphins being hand fed there since the 1940s. Only a tenth of the dolphins' daily dietary needs are provided, so that they keep hunting for themselves.

DBCA's Monkey Mia Dolphin Experience page says the best way to see the dolphins is a morning dolphin viewing experience. Dolphins visit the beach more often in the early morning, when they are offered small amounts of fish, and often return in the afternoon to hunt in the shallows. Times for the experiences depend on if and when the dolphins visit the beach.

Feeding, swimming with or touching the dolphins outside the Dolphin Experience is not permitted by law. Swimming and snorkelling are permitted only outside the dolphin interaction area, and boating is not allowed in it; a boat ramp is provided. The resort says that on entering Monkey Mia Conservation Park visitors must try to stay 50 metres away from dolphins in the water and are not permitted to touch them.

The dolphin site has flushable, wheelchair-accessible toilets and parking with an accessible bay. Dogs and other pets are not allowed at the dolphin site, and camping is not permitted in the Monkey Mia parking area. DBCA charges a daily entry fee for the Monkey Mia Reserve, paid to DBCA and not to the resort.

Monkey Mia Conservation Park

Monkey Mia Conservation Park is jointly managed by DBCA and the Malgana Aboriginal Corporation, as part of the State Government's Plan for Our Parks initiative. DBCA says the Malgana name for Shark Bay is Gathaagudu, meaning two bays, or two waters.

Tours, among them four-wheel-drive tours and scenic flights, can be booked at the Conservation Centre. DBCA says dugongs, sharks, rays, turtles and humpback whales can be seen from the ocean or on charter tours in the area. DBCA also points visitors to a visitor centre with a small theatre playing films on the dolphins and the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.

The Wulyibidi Yaninyina Trail takes its name from the Malgana for "Walking Peron". Its loop walks start near the Conservation Centre, and the shortest has a boardwalk and lookout at 550 metres from Monkey Mia.

Staying at the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort

The Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort has a general store on site, and says the nearest supermarket, Shark Bay Supermarket, is a 20-minute drive from the resort. Each reservation comes with one car bay. Since 15 December 2025 the resort has banned e-rideables, including electric scooters, skateboards and bikes, and it asks guests not to feed the emus.

Denham and the Shark Bay World Heritage Area

The Shire of Shark Bay says Shark Bay was World Heritage listed on 13 December 1991 for its natural values. Those it names include the stromatolites, which it calls "outstanding examples representing the major stage of Earth's evolutionary history", the Faure Sill, and the inundated birridas and lagoons such as Big Lagoon and Little Lagoon. The Shire also notes that the Ningaloo Coast, a second World Heritage area, is close by in the same Gascoyne region.

In Denham, the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery and Visitor Centre is at 53 Knight Terrace (1300 367 072), and its opening hours differ by season. The Carnarvon Visitor Centre's distance table gives Denham as 323 km from Carnarvon.

Commonwealth aviation security rules

Commonwealth screening rule for air services

The Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre (CISC) says an air service that operates open charter or a regular public transport operation must be aviation security screened if it:

• uses aircraft with a seating capacity of 40 or more persons
• operates from an Australian designated, tier 1 or tier 2 security controlled airport
• uses any aircraft departing from the same apron as a screened air service operating at a designated airport

Home Affairs liquids, aerosols and gels restrictions

The Department of Home Affairs says each container of liquids, aerosols or gels must be 100 mL (volume), 100 g (weight) or less, and all containers must fit in one transparent and re-sealable plastic bag. The restrictions apply in these situations:

• when departing Australia
• when transiting through Australia from one country to another
• when travelling on the domestic leg of a flight departing from an Australian international terminal
• prior to boarding an inbound flight at its last point of departure before it reaches Australia

Questions about Shark Bay Airport

Who runs Shark Bay Airport?

Airservices Australia's aerodrome entry (issue of 3 September 2026) lists RTA Leisure Pty Ltd as the aerodrome operator.

Where can you fly from Shark Bay Airport?

The site's schedule data records direct Rex flights from Shark Bay Airport to Carnarvon. Rex lists the airport as Monkey Mia.

How do you get from Shark Bay Airport to the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort?

The resort says it offers an airport shuttle to and from the resort for a fee, added to a resort booking at checkout. The aerodrome entry also lists a local shuttle (0412 626 074) and Shark Bay Car Hire (0474 556 296).

When do the dolphins visit the beach at Monkey Mia?

DBCA says dolphins visit the beach more often in the early morning and points visitors to the morning dolphin viewing experiences. Times for the experiences depend on if and when the dolphins visit the beach.

Does Shark Bay observe daylight saving?

Shark Bay is in Western Australia, which does not observe daylight saving. The New South Wales Government lists New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory as observing it, and Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory as not.