Shark ADVICE for Bloodwood Creek in the Ningaloo Marine Park

17 August 2016

Alert level:
A shark ADVICE has been issued due to a whale carcass that has come ashore at Bloodwood Creek in the Ningaloo Marine Park, south of the Town of Exmouth.

Situation:

The whale carcass came ashore on the afternoon of the 16th of August 2016.
Department of Parks and Wildlife has buried the carcass above the high water line near where it was washed up.
Shark hazard signs are in place at this location.
It is possible the decomposing carcass will continue to act as an attractant that could lead to sharks coming close in to shore along this stretch of coast.
While it’s not uncommon for sharks to be present off the Western Australian coast throughout the year, people should exercise additional caution while the whale carcass remains present in the area.

What to do:

Take additional caution in the Bloodwood Creek area.
Adhere to any beach closures.
Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking 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 response agencies and to the public on the SharkSmart website and the Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed.

What authorities are doing:
The Department of Fisheries is monitoring the situation and providing advice to relevant authorities.

The beach is not closed, however Department of Parks and Wildlife has shark hazard signage in place that will remain for a minimum of 24 to 48 hours and will make a determination after further assessment of the situation.

Extra information:
Keep informed of the latest detection 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.

Check www.sharksmart.com.au/news for current alerts and warnings.

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