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Shark ADVICE for Reported Sighting Notifications
26 January 2026Alert level:
A shark ADVICE has been issued for Western Australian water users due to technical issues impacting the automatic posting of reported shark sightings to SharkSmart and Surf Life Saving WA @SLSWA on X (formerly Twitter).
Situation:
- A fault has been identified that has caused the shark notification system to cease automatic reporting of shark sightings from the public and regulatory agencies.
- Tagged shark detections, from the Shark Monitoring Network, have not been impacted by this outage and remain fully functional.
- The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is working with external service providers to restore the system as soon as possible.
- All shark sighting notifications will be uploaded to the SharkSmart WA app and website as quickly as possible between 6 am and 6 pm, while the technical issue is resolved.
- An update will be provided once all systems are operational.
What to do:
- Adhere to beach closures advised by Local Government Rangers, Parks and Wildlife Service officers or SLSWA.
- Use your Sea Sense and stay informed by checking for shark activity on the SharkSmart website, SharkSmart WA app or follow @SLSWA on X.
- 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, SharkSmart WA app and @SLSWA on X.
What authorities are doing:
The relevant authorities that receive shark notifications to assist them in responses have been notified of the outage; including SLSWA, WA Police and relevant local government rangers.
DPIRD will be working with external service providers to restore the system to full operational status as soon as possible.
DPIRD is liaising with SLSWA to manually post shark sighting information to @SLSWA on X, where possible.
Extra information:
Switch on your Sea Sense and stay informed of shark activity information by checking the SharkSmart website – www.sharksmart.com.au/shark-activity, download the SharkSmart WA app or follow @SLSWA on X – x.com/SLSWA. Check www.sharksmart.com.au/news for updates to this alert and to view other warnings and media releases.
The Shark Notification System forms part of a range of shark mitigation strategies in place. See www.sharksmart.com.au for additional information.