Shark alerts at thewest.com.au
West Australians can now track tagged sharks and monitor the latest sightings on thewest.com.au, which has joined forces with SharkSmart to keep our beaches safe.
Ocean users are being urged to check thewest.com.au on their smartphones for the latest shark sightings before going in the water.
The website carries the latest information from SharkSmart, the State Government’s online shark monitoring service.
It includes a map that plots sightings from Surf Lifesaving WA’s helicopter, the Department of Fisheries and reports from the public.
New alerts of shark sightings and detections appear in red across the top of the web page.
‘SHARK LATEST'
SHARK FULL COVERAGE
SHARKS NOT KEEN ON TESTS
ATTACK HAUNTS SURVIVOR
SHARK STUDY TO UNLOCK SECRETS
Using the Shark Monitoring Network — a series of tracking receivers which monitor tagged sharks — the site also plots the location of whale carcasses that attract sharks and sends alerts when a shark swims close to a receiver.
Users can also follow the travel patterns of tagged sharks off WA.
“Risks of encountering a shark are low, but we can all play a part by keeping informed about reported shark movements,” the State Government said in a statement.
The website’s tips for beach safety include swimming between the flags, swimming close to the shore and keeping away from schools of fish, seals or wildlife behaving erratically.
Avoid water that has fish or other food waste in it. At unpatrolled beaches, stay close to shore and avoid deep channels.
