The Pink Lake (Hutt Lagoon) at Port Gregory is an iconic sight along the Coral Coast Highway.
Located just over 1 hours' drive north of Geraldton or 40 minutes south of Kalbarri or 5.5 hrs drive from Perth, Port Gregory is a scenic fishing village encircled by 5km of exposed coral reef. The village is located near the mouth of the Hutt River, and was originally developed to serve the Geraldine Mine at the Murchison River - the first site for mining in Western Australia! Today, Port Gregory is a popular holiday destination for fishing and diving. A pinkish, garnet sand is found around the mouth of the Hutt River, which is a popular spot for picnicking, kayaking and pelican spotting.
Lying mere metres from the village, Hutt Lagoon covers roughly 70 square kilometres, with most of the lagoon lying a few metres below sea level. It is separated from the Indian Ocean by a beach barrier ridge and barrier dune system. Similar to Lake MacLeod (40km north of Carnarvon), Hutt Lagoon is fed by marine waters through springs.
Why is it pink?
Hutt Lagoon boasts a pink hue created by the presence of carotenoid-producing algae, Dunaliella salina, which is a source of beta-carotene; a food-colouring agent; and a source of Vitamin A.
When should I visit?
The lake's colour changes through the spectrum of red to bubblegum pink to lilac purple, depending on the time of day, season (time of year) and amount of cloud cover when you visit. The best time of day to visit is typically in the middle of the day, when the sun is high.