Close encounter with ‘Trevor’ the tiger shark prompts call for quicker Perth beach warnings
The warm summer water has seen an increase in tiger sharks coming to the beach and while experts said they were generally not a large threat to people, they were still a wild animal to keep clear of.
Ramsay claimed he raised the alarm that sharks were in the area that day, but said the response was slow, with authorities taking nearly two hours to close the beach.
‘Trevor’ the shark’s visit to Mullaloo beach has been captured by wildlife photographer Curtis Ramsay.Credit: Curtis Ramsay
In a statement, the City of Joondalup said it was notified of a shark sighting at Whitfords Beach via email from SharkSmart at 6.55am. They said a field officer attended the location and the beach was closed at 8.15am.
“I think the goal now would be for signs to let people know of increased shark activity,” Ramsay said.
“Not that I’m fearful that anything’s going to happen, I can see that tiger sharks have no interest in people, but it won’t take much for an accident to happen; someone splashes somewhere they shouldn’t, a dog jumps in the water, someone throws a ball in where they shouldn’t, and they don’t know, they’ve got no awareness. There’s no signs, no notifications.”
While the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter patrols Perth beaches looking for sharks in the area, Surf Life Saving WA general manager Chris Pack said 16 surf life saving clubs across the state also had drones in operation for surveillance of marine hazards, such as sharks.
He added that locals could do their bit to stay safe too.
“What’s really important to keep you and your family safe when you go to the beach is make sure that you’ve downloaded the SharkSmart app so you get real-time information about where sightings have been today or over the last week, and make sure that if you do see a shark, you report it into the Water Police,” he said.
With 9News Perth
