Busselton is now home to a new family business, with a gift shop of ocean treasures officially open on Queen Street.
Local couple Sasha Boundy and Georgia Payne have brought their 'Mermaids Cave' idea to life, with a store layout mimicking a winding cave tunnel, filled with shells, crafts and living sea animals.
Sasha said that after collecting shells and 'treasures' since she could walk, her partner Georgia suggested they turn her huge shell collection into something other people could visit.
"She said 'it's a waste that just we can see it. We need to show this off to the world and share it with people'."
After months of searching for the perfect place to open their store, the building at 50A Queen Street popped up as the perfect fit.
"It's so perfect because nobody knows it's here, it's like this hidden little world," Sasha said.
True to the 'mermaid cave' idea, the store is designed to be full of secrets, with the museum and fish tanks hidden in the back.
"If you find it, you're really lucky to find it," Sasha said.
Among the treasures out the back of the store, visitors can find Nemo, Dory and other characters kids will likely recognise.
Mermaid tails, pottery, shell crafts and other treasures will be sold at the store, with real mermaids and face painters also making visits.
The family behind the business is full of ocean lovers, with Sasha's kids also avid shell collectors.
"We're all obsessed with shells," she said.
"Not just the shells, but the animals that live in them. No-one really knows a lot about them, so we try to raise awareness of the creatures and how they affect our environment, because they all have a little job to do."
Originally from Cornwall, England, Sasha's parents had a giftshop on the beach, sparking an early love in her for collecting treasure and picking up rubbish.
"I've instilled that into my children as well," she said.
"Every time we go to the beach we bring a big bag for rubbish, and a little bucket for any treasures we find."
"Some of the best treasures we find are in the rubbish. It's like mother nature throws you a gift for doing a good thing."
Over many years of collecting shells, Sasha said she also picked up knowledge about sea life, sparked by curiosity about every new shell she found.
"For me, it's not just a case of 'I found a shell on the beach'," she said.
"I need to know everything about that shell. Where it's from, who discovered it, the animal that lives in it.
"They're all just so different and so unique."
The Mermaids Cave is open 9 - 2.30am and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You can follow the store's Facebook page, The Mermaids Cave Busselton.
