Stromatolites are among the oldest living fossils known to man. They are found in Hamelin Pool, which is part of the Shark Bay World Heritage Site. There are only two places in the world where these rare organisms occur, and Hamelin Pool is considered the most diverse and best example. Harmelin Pool is named after Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin, who passed through here in 1801 as part of an expedition.
Stromatolites are so-called living rocks. They consist of cyanobacteria, formerly known as blue-green algae, which can only be seen with the help of a microscope. They have processed nutrients and sediments from the shallow salt water into rock-like towers and black, spongy mats.