Is it safe to swim in Western Australia?
Yes!
It is very safe to swim in Western Australia. Australian’s love the beach, and most of our residential beaches are patrolled by surf lifesavers, with calm protected waters and very modern facilities.
It is very safe to swim in Western Australia. Australian’s love the beach, and most of our residential beaches are patrolled by surf lifesavers, with calm protected waters and very modern facilities.
If you travel to some isolated beaches in our beautiful wilderness, you have slightly more chance of bumping into some amazing aquatic wildlife, but that’s what makes Western Australia so special! To the far north of Western Australia in the Kimberley, some beaches are home to saltwater crocodiles, and if you travel to the far south of Western Australia, near the rocky surfing coastline, you can bump into the occasional great white shark. But rest assured, those beaches are remote and well marked, and tourists are not on the menu, fish are!
NO tourist has ever been attacked by a shark in Western Australia.
All shark and crocodile fatalities in Western Australia are extremely rare, and have only ever occurred to locals often surfing, fishing or swimming in remote or unpatrolled water. If you stick to residential patrolled beaches and swim between the flags you’ll be completely safe. Every day thousands of people enjoy Western Australia’s beautiful coastlines – we love the ocean so much we can’t go a day without dipping our toes in the water! |
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What do the flags mean at the beach?
In Australia the yellow and red flags mean that the beach is being patrolled by surf lifesavers.
You should ALWAYS swim between the flags, especially if you are new to the beach. Surf lifesavers are locals who live in the area, and they know the beach and can assess the safest places to swim. Although Australia’s beaches look pristine and beautiful from the shore, the crystal clear water can still hide hidden dangers such as sand banks, coral reefs, submerged rocks and rip currents. Australia’s surf lifesavers must undergo extensive first aid training and rigorous physical tests every few months and have access to the latest medical and communication equipment. So if you ever see the flags, head that way and get a selfie with a surf life saving superstar.
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How to spot a rip current?
The greatest risk to swimmers at Australian beaches is not actually the wildlife, but is infact, the dangerous strong underwater currents, called rips, which can drag swimmers out to sea. These strong underwater currents occur where there are underwater sand banks preventing water flowing freely out from shore.
To swimmers on the beach, a rip often looks like calm and peaceful, sometimes rippling, water – the perfect place for a swim away from the waves! Unfortunately these strong underwater currents can drag unsuspecting swimmers out into deep water where they struggle getting back to the beach.
If you ever get stuck in a rip, it's important to stay calm and just let the rip take you out. Some rips will take you back to the beach! Once you are past the sand bank, the rip's pull will lessen and you can swim sideways out of the current. Watch this video below!
What about the wildlife? Are there stingers in Perth?
Yes, there are stingers in the water along Perth's beaches. Fortunately though, there are no lethal jellyfish in Western Australia.
I have personally been stung many times by stingers, and it really is nothing to worry about. The first aid, for a stinger is simply to wash off the sting with seawater, and use ice and an anti-inflammatory to lessen any pain.
Are there sharks in Perth?
Yes, there are sharks in the water along Perth's beaches, there are sharks everywhere. But they really are harmless!
Every year there are over 900,000 international visitors to WA, and nearly 10 million interstate and domestic visitors. In addition, locals take about 22 million day trips around our beautiful state. That's nearly 31 million visitors traveling around Western Australia every year, and none of them are ever harmed by sharks! When you add up all the numbers and divide it by the price of a coffee, it means that each year your chances of even coming close to a shark are super teeny tiny.
Still, we know it’s a little creepy to think that there’s giant hungry fish out in that deep blue and Western Australia is a glamorous and wealthy state, so we have employed the latest technology to keep all of our beach visitors safe. Perth beaches are regularly patrolled in summer by shark spotting helicopters – locally known as the Westpac Chopper. We have a sophisticated electronic shark tagging system, where we remotely monitor local sharks in the area, and we have several phone apps, which will update you of rogue fishies swimming close to shore. And if all of that still isn’t enough for you, one of our prettiest beaches at Sorrento Beach, has a million dollar shark net, so that you can swim safe and sound after scaring yourself at the state aquarium, AQWA at Sorrento Quay. So don't hold back, join us in the deep blue! |
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