{{Short description|Bay in Western Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} [[File:Shark_Bay_Phytoplankton_in_Bloom.jpg|thumb|240px|Satellite image of Shark Bay. Freycinet Harbour is southwest of the Peron Peninsula in the centre.]] '''Henri Freycinet Harbour''' ({{IPA|fr|ɑ̃ʁi fʁɛsinɛ|lang}}), also known as '''Freycinet Estuary''', is one of the inner gulfs of the [[Shark Bay]] [[World Heritage Site]] in [[Western Australia]]. It lies to the southwest of the [[Peron Peninsula]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32919222 |title=SHARK BAY. |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |location=Perth |date=25 October 1935 |accessdate=10 July 2011 |page=29 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It has a significantly larger number of islands than [[Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve|Hamelin Pool]], and has a number of smaller peninsulas known as ''prongs'' on its northern area.
It was named in 1801 by [[Louis de Freycinet|Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet]] after his older brother and fellow naval officer {{ill|Louis Henri de Saulces de Freycinet|fr}} (1777{{endash}}1840).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sharkbay.org/culture-history/maritime-history/|title=Maritime History|website=www.sharkbay.org}}</ref> Both were on the [[Baudin expedition to Australia]]; Louis Henri went on to serve as Major General of the [[French Navy]] from 1832 to 1834.
Situated within the [[Shark Bay Marine Park]],<ref>Western Australia. Dept. of Environment and Conservation.(2007) ''Shark Bay terrestrial reserves and proposed reserve additions : draft management plan 2007'' Department of Environment and Conservation; Conservation Commission of Western Australia. Bentley, W.A. Dept. of Environment and Conservation maps p.254 and 255</ref> it has been identified as a critical [[dugong]] habitat area.<ref>Holley, David K., Lawler, Ivan R., and Gales, Nicholas J. (2006) Summer survey of dugong distribution and abundance in Shark Bay reveals additional key habitat area. Wildlife Research, 33 (3). pp. 243–250. ISSN 1448-5494</ref> Nevertheless the estuary has been dredged as part of works related to the Shark Bay Salt Joint Venture.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Western Australia. Environmental Protection Authority | title=Dredging of Denham Channel, Bar Flats and the Slope Island Shipping Berth, Freycinet Estuary Shark Bay : Shark Bay Salt Joint Venture : report and recommendations of the Environmental Protection Authority | publication-date=2002 | publisher=Environmental Protection Authority | isbn=978-0-7307-6680-3 }}</ref>
==Islands== * [[Baudin Island (Shark Bay)|Baudin Island]] * Charles Island * [[Freycinet Island]] * Lefebre Island * Salutation Island
==References== {{Reflist |30em}}
{{coord|26|20|S|113|40|E|type:waterbody_source:frwiki|display=title}}
{{AusplacesnamedbyFrench}}
[[Category:Shark Bay]]