 Dampier, located just 20 kilometres from Karratha, is a coastal playground for boating, sailing, fishing, diving, windsurfing and swimming.
The town takes its name from the Dampier Archipelago, a group of 42 islands that hug the central Pilbara coast. These rocky islets - known for their stark beauty and crystal clear waters - were named after the English buccaneer William Dampier who sailed around the area in 1688.
The archipelago was formed 6,000 to 8,000 years ago, when melting ice caps caused the sea level to rise. They vary in size from rocks less than one hectare to Enderby Island, the largest, at 3,900 hectares. Dolphin Island is the highest, rising 120 metres above sea level. Visitors can sail around them and be dropped off to explore, though many of the islands are protected seabird and turtle nesting sites and closed to the public.
Game fishing around here is extremely popular, and the annual Dampier Classic competition is held in early August each year. Other things to do include scuba diving off the local wrecks and cruising the waters in search of dolphins.
Throughout the area you can find the remnants of old Aboriginal campsites, as well as large shell middens - mounds of oyster shells thrown away after tens of thousands of meals. The Burrup Peninsula, a few kilometres from the centre of Dampier, is the site of some 10,000 Aboriginal rock engravings.
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