Port Gregory beach (WA 1120) faces southwest into the prevailing winds, but is sheltered from waves by the continuous beachrock reef and backing shoals that extends the length of the 3.8 km long beach (Fig. 4.276). Water flowing across the reef returns via a deep channel that runs parallel to the shore and back out to sea through Leander Passage. Waves are usually calm along the beach, particularly at low tide, only picking up close to the prominent sandy foreland that forms the northern boundary in lee of the smaller Gold Digger Passage. This is a sheltered usually calm ‘lagoon’ beach with the main hazards being the deeper water in the channel and closer to Leander Passage the permanent current that returns the lagoon water seaward. The town is located midway along the beach. The remainder of the beach is backed by generally vegetated north-trending parabolic dunes that have formed a 1 km wide barrier that blocks the southern third of 3000 ha Hutt Lagoon, and enclosed salt lake. Today the Hutt Lagoon is totally isolated from the sea. This was not always the case as when it was first flooded by the sea level rise approximately 6 000 years ago, there was an entrance 1-2 km southeast of Shoal Point. At this time waves moved through the entrance and built 1 km wide series of about 20 low foredune ridges, now located 2-3 km east of the point on the northeast shore of the lagoon. Since the lagoon closed to the sea all rainwater flowing into the lagoon evaporates and has over time deposited a thick deposit of salt and gypsum on the lagoon floor. At Leander Passage the shoreline turns and trends northwest for 5 km to Shoal Point, where it turns again to the north-northwest and continues straight towards Bluff Point 29 km to the north. In between is an exposed undeveloped section of coast backed by extensive unstable dune systems. The first 22 km up to Lucky Bay contains five beaches (WA 1121-1125), with Wagoe beach (WA 1126) extending the remaining 15.5 km to the southern slopes of Bluff Point. read more

Beach Length: 3.8km