News & Alerts

Situation:

• Between 29 July and this morning there have been white shark detections on Shark Monitoring Network receivers at  Warnbro Sound, Garden Island (North end) North Cottesloe and Swanbourne and detections of a bronze whaler at the Garden Island (North end) receiver.

• While the detections have been intermittent, it is possible that the frequency and duration of the recent reported detections may increase the likelihood of encountering a shark in this area.

• The change in activity may be due to a possible change in environmental conditions such as fish aggregations.

 What to do:

• Obey beach closures advised by Local Government Rangers or Surf Life Saving WA.

• During winter many beaches are not patrolled fulltime, so water users need to take responsibility for their actions by staying up to date with the latest detection and sighting information by checking the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed and avoiding water activities at locations where recent detections or sightings have occurred.

• 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 Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed

What authorities are doing: 

The Department of Fisheries will continue to monitor the situation and provide further advice as required.

Extra information: 

It is not uncommon for sharks to be present off the coast throughout the year, however the current detections may indicate transient environmental conditions that may increase the chance of encountering a shark.