WARNING for Cape to Cape coastline in the South West

08 April 2016

Alert level:
With school holidays beginning this weekend, the Department of Fisheries is renewing and extending its shark warnings to the area between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin after an increased number of shark sightings in recent weeks.

Situation:

It is possible that the number of sightings in this area 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 as schools of salmon have been reported in the immediate and adjacent areas in the last few weeks.

What to do:

Follow advice from Local Government Rangers or Surf Life Saving WA.
Leave the water if a warning siren is sounded, including from the Surf Life Saving South West helicopter service.
Take extra caution along the Capes area by not surfing or diving, when large schools of fish are present.
In this area many beaches are not patrolled fulltime, so water users need to take responsibility for their actions by staying up to date.
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 Surf Life saving WA Twitter feed.

What authorities are doing:
Local authorities and Department of Fisheries will continue to monitor the situation. To keep people safe, beaches may be closed.

Extra information:
It is not uncommon for sharks to be present off the coast throughout the year.

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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