The Kimberley coast displays wide variation and is a significant component of the region's physical setting. Wide sandy beaches give way to mudflats. Mangrove inlets and tidal creeks are interspersed with coastal cliffs. Some embayments such as Cambridge Gulf and King Sound extend well inland.

The marine environment is influenced by the warm, south-equatorial current that flows from the east through the Asian and northern Australian region.

There are numerous offshore islands. The coast is prone to large tidal variation. In King Sound, the highest tides reach 11m. Strong tidal flows, together with summer river discharges, dramatically influence the coastal environment.

Much of the coast remains uninhabited. Long stretches of isolated coastline provides wilderness attraction, but at the same time presents issues of management and national security.