News & Alerts

Situation:

• The whale carcass was reported by a member of the public and confirmed by Department of Parks and Wildlife officers late on the afternoon of the 16th of August 2016.
• The carcass of a juvenile 4.5m long Humpback whale is approximately 13 kilometres west along the beach from the main access into Yeagarup.
• Due to prevailing conditions and the difficult access to the area the carcass will remain at its current location until at least Tuesday the 23rd of August.
• 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 Yeagarup Beach 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.

Department of Parks and Wildlife will assess the situation following the inclement weather activity 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.