A shark warning has been issued for Canal Rocks in Yallingup after a whale carcass washed up on the rocks at Wyadup.
Photographer Ian Wiese captured an image of the whale and saw a couple arrive to go diving for crayfish near the carcass.
Mr Wiese said rangers from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions had closed beaches in the area and a member of the public informed them people had gone into the water on the south side of Wyadup.
“The rangers went to warn them, but in the meantime they had moved to the vicinity of the whale carcass,” he said.
“A friend of mine was following a 4.5 metre great white shark with his drone. The great white had been attracted by the whale carcass and the miles long oil slick.
“He saw the crayfish diver approaching the shark to within 30m, and immediately (with the help of the rangers) set off to warn the diver of the danger.
“Fortunately they were successful. The diver had swum past parts of the whale on the bottom, and must have been aware of the presence of the carcass. He was extremely lucky.”
The whale carcass was reported to be 500m of Canal Rocks Beach on a rocky point, by a member of the public.
It is possible the carcass will act as an attractant that could lead to sharks coming close in to shore along this stretch of coast.
While it is not uncommon for sharks to be present off the WA coast throughout the year, people should exercise additional caution until the incident is resolved.
What to do:
- Take additional caution in the Canal Rocks area.
- Adhere to beach closures advised by local government rangers or Surf Life Saving WA.
- 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:
Fisheries officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions staff are monitoring the situation.
Extra information:
Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the Shark Activity Map on the SharkSmart website – sharksmart.com.au/shark-activity or the Surf Life Saving WA Twitter – twitter.com/SLSWA.
Check sharksmart.com.au/news for current alerts and warnings.
