History of Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Beach Facts La plage de Whitehaven reste plutôt spectaculaire 4.3 km

Whitehaven Beach Facts Whitehaven Beach remains a rather spectacular 4.3 mi (7 km) stretch of the shoreline of Whitsunday Islands, Australia. In addition, the island is accessible by boat from the mainland tourist ports of Airlie Beach, Shute Harbor, and the upscale Hamilton Island. The beach was also discovered in 1879, by Staff Commander EP Bedwell who also gave the beach its name. This was one of the many names from the British county of Cumberland that Bedwell brought to the area. It was also James Cook who gave the Cumberland island group its name, in 1770.

Whitehaven Beach Geography This phenomenally beautiful beach is also quite famous for its white sands which consists of 98% pure silica giving the beach a bright white color. Unlike regular sand, the sand on Whitehaven Beach does not retain heat. This makes it rather pleasantly comfortable enough to walk barefoot on a hot day. We tried and tested it.

Whitehaven Beach Distinctiveness The geology of the island itself also shows little or no trace of silica. Thus the sands most likely came to the beach via prevailing sea currents. But, this has likely occurred over a period of several million years. The sand of Whitehaven Beach is also extremely fine. This means that it can damage electronic equipment such as telephones and cameras. It is, however, extremely useful for polishing fine jewelry.

Whitehaven Beach Preservation Efforts In 2008, the beach also gained worldwide fame as the cleanest beach in Queensland, Australia, per Keep Australia Beautiful. This was part of the Clean Beach Challenge State Awards. In July 2010, CNN.com named the beach the number one Eco-Friendly beach in the world. Dogs are not permitted there and cigarette smoking is also prohibited.

What is it famous for?

Whitehaven Beach is not only famous for its beauty and gorgeous backdrop, but also for its unique sands. There are billions of tons of it, stretching along the 7km shoreline of Whitehaven Beach. Whitehaven's sand is made up of 99% silica sands and are the most pure in the world. They are soft and white, and are of such quality, it is said that the glass on the Hubble is made from them. Their stark white colour and composition means that the sand does not retain heat and remains cool on even the hottest days, keep the feet of its visitors cool and comfortable.

Theories behind creation

It was long thought that the sand was the product of the volcanic activity that created the Whitsunday Islands themselves. For many years, scientists had little to no idea where the sand came from or how it came to be. There are still many theories of where the sand came from, as it is formed from quartz - a rock that is not native to the Whitsundays. So if the sand is made of quartz, but there is no quartz around, how did it come to be?

The newest theory is that the sandy shores of Whitehaven Beach are the byproduct of thousands of years of ocean currents that brought the sands from elsewhere in the world. The islands and headlands are said to have trapped the sand, which was made pure and free of impurities as fresh water leached it out. It is even thought that the sand may have made its way from the interior of Australia, which once had large amounts of exposed granite, which turned into sand as it was broken down. With the rise of the oceans, the sand is said to have shifted to the coast to what is now Whitehaven Beach.

It remains unknown for sure how Whitehaven Beach came to be the beach we know and love today, making a visit here even more special. You can see the mystery and beauty of the beach for yourself with many day tours and overnight tours departing daily.