It works every time. I am automatically happy. I am in an almost Zen zone.  I smile from ear to ear, a childlike excitement overcomes me when I see wildlife. Nothing beats watching wild animals – swimming, running and going about their daily business in their natural habitat.

My husband and I have seen pods of dolphins on previous holidays but nothing quite like this. The dolphins at Monkey Mia swim right up to the shore, a few metres, away from the beach. In fact, every day during our stay at the RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, bottlenose dolphins, with names like Piccolo, Kiya and Pan, swam right up to the shore to be fed. Three times, each morning, from about 7.45am to 12noon, like clockwork.

The feeding worked like this: the carers invited guests and visitors to stand in the water. A briefing was provided while we waited for the volunteers to bring out fish for the dolphins. We were then told to exit the water and stand on the beach. The noise made by feet leaving the water signalled to the dolphins that it was feeding time. Each dolphin was fed about two to three fish in total. The three feeds made up about 10% of the 10-12 kilograms of fish that adult bottlenose dolphins ate per day.

The amount fed is controlled to prevent the dolphins from becoming overly dependent. From 1983 to 1994, only four out of 15 nursing calves born to beach visiting dolphins survived.  Apparently, overfeeding resulted in nursing calves not learning the skills needed to survive independently. Guests and visitors were also asked to walk away from the beach after each feeding. This was to give the now-fed mummy dolphins time to nourish their calves with milk.

While the feedings were nice to watch, what was better, at least for my husband and me, was the access and proximity to the dolphins. We could stand on the beach or pier or walk along the beach to watch the dolphins all day –   swimming, leaping, foraging, snacking and squeaking. We even spotted them from our accommodation. No matter the number of times we saw the dolphins, the excitement never waned.

We also noticed six pelicans at Monkey Mia. The pelicans didn’t seem at all bothered or afraid of people. They just stopped, rested and preened, and walked about on the beach. We soon realised that pelicans appeared when dolphins were present. One pelican shadowed a few dolphins by swimming close to the shore. Cleverly, it scooped up fish that the dolphins had corralled for their meal. A National Geographic moment. Nice.

Monkey Mia is located in the Shark Bay World Heritage area. This 2.2 million hectare area also includes the Stromatolites (one of the oldest living organisms on Earth), Shell Beach, Francois Peron National Park and Dirk Hartog Island. Mia is an Aboriginal term for home or shelter. While, Monkey may have come from the name of a pearling boat that had anchored at the now Monkey Mia resort, when pearling was an industry there. Also, it may refer to the pet monkeys of Malay pearlers at that time.

Apart from the bottlenose dolphins and pelicans at Monkey Mia, we were also lucky to observe other wildlife at the Francois Peron National Park. Thanks to our guide, Janine from Naturetime Tours, we were introduced to our first Thorny devil. Of the reptilian family, we, not the most observant at the best of times, could have easily missed it for a twig, even after seeing it up close. The Thorny devil, which feeds exclusively on ants, has an impressive spine and false head, both designed to confuse would-be predators. Janine also pointed out to us the Bearded dragon. She showed us what a Chiming wedgebill looked like. We also saw a family of emu and flocks of pied cormorant.  Knowledgeable, our guide also educated us on the history, geology and vegetation of the park. But, it was the animals that left us feeling happy and satisfied. A word of advice. Don’t self-drive to Francois Peron National Park without a high clearance 4WD. The soft, red sand tracks and rutted paths are not easy to manoeuvre. Best left to the experts.

Monkey Mia is a bit of a hike to get to as it’s about a 900km drive or an under two hour flight from Perth. But it is certainly well worth the visit, especially the unforgettable dolphin experience.