News & Alerts

Update on 14 September at 5:00pm

Fisheries Officers from Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development have inspected the whale carcass at Point Samson today and have observed the carcass has suffered heavy predation from sharks. 

The parts of the carcass that were below the waterline are mostly gone, however some parts of the whale remain on the shore. 

It is possible the residues of the whale may continue to act as a shark attractant and the beach is to remain closed until further notice.

Beach access is permitted within the closure area, but swimming or entering the water is prohibited.

If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600.

Update on 11 September at 2:15pm

Contractors and staff from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions have removed the Humpback Whale carcass which was located at the southern end of Garden Island. 

The carcass was towed to shore and is now being lifted in sections into industrial skip bins and transported to landfill. It will be completely removed by the end of the day.

Residues will potentially remain for a few days and may act as an attractant that could lead to sharks coming close in to shore along this stretch of coast.

Bring your Sea Sense to the beach. Stay informed by checking for shark activity on the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.

If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600.

Alert level:

A shark WARNING has been issued for Burns Beach in the City of Joondalup after an interaction with a shark two (2) kilometres offshore was reported at 9:26am this morning.

• From Sunday, two helicopters will comb the WA coast to boost weekend beach safety
• The Perth coastal patrols will have daily flights from September 30 to the end of April
• South-West patrols fly daily during school holidays and at various times over summer
• Beachgoers are encouraged to switch on their Sea Sense

Updated 17 August at 1:20pm

The system fault restricting shark notifications from being automatically published on Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed has been fully restored.

All reported shark sighting notifications and tagged shark detections are being published on the SharkSmart website and are also being automatically published on SLSWA Twitter feed

Bring you Sea Sense to the beach. Stay information by checking the Shark Activity Map on the SharkSmart website – www.sharksmart.com.au/shark-activity.

If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600.

Update on 14 August at 9.45am:

Fisheries advise the whale carcass south of Flat Rocks Beach, near Greenough, has been assessed and remains in place. The decomposing carcass is partially buried in the beach sand and is visible only on low tide. 

DPIRD will continue to monitor and assess the situation in partnership with the local land managers.

While the carcass remains in place, it's possible it will act as an attractant that could lead to sharks coming close in to shore along this stretch of coast.

Bring your Sea Sense to the beach. Stay informed by checking for shark activity on the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.

If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600.

Update on 13 August at 1.40pm

The City of Greater Geraldton has now removed the whale carcass from Separation Point.

Additional caution is recommended by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, as any residue from where the whale carcass was beached may still attract sharks to the area.

Bring your Sea Sense to the beach. Stay informed by checking for shark activity on the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.

If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600.

Update on 12 August at 11:20am

Officers from Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions have attend the area where two whale carcasses were beached at Windy Harbour and have assessed that the remains of both whales have been taken out to sea and broken up naturally. 

There are no longer any visible remains. 

Divers, surfers and swimmers are advised to continue to take care as residues from the carcasses may continue to act as an attractant to sharks.

Use your Sea Sense and stay informed by checking for shark activity on the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.

If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600. All shark sighting information reported to Water Police is provided to land managers and relevant authorities and to the public on the SharkSmart website and Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed.

• New campaign to encourage more surfers to purchase a scientifically proven personal shark deterrent
• Surfers and divers save $200 with Government rebate 
• About 570 surfers among more than 3,700 Western Australians to purchase a device

With surfers carving up the big winter swells rolling in along our coast, Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly today launched a new campaign to encourage more surfers to switch on their Sea Sense and purchase a scientifically proven personal shark deterrent. 

Update on 9 August at 12:50pm 

System maintenance affecting the Shark Monitoring Network receiver located 2.5 kilometres off Trigg has been successfully completed.

The Shark Monitoring Network is now fully operational. 

Bring your Sea Sense to the beach. Stay informed of the latest detections and sighting information by checking the Shark Activity Map on the SharkSmart website – www.sharksmart.com.au/shark-activity or the Surf Life Saving WA Twitter – twitter.com/SLSWA.

The Shark Notification System forms part of a range of shark hazard mitigation strategies in place.  See www.sharksmart.com.au for additional information.