Swimmer safety

Be Safe. Be SharkSmart

Follow these safety guidelines to minimise the risk of a shark attack:

• Don’t swim at dawn or dusk.
• Always swim in clear water (not in murky water, busy anchorages, estuary mouths or canals).
• Don’t throw food scraps or fish waste overboard (including in anchorages or where people are swimming).
• Don’t swim where fish are being cleaned.
• Swim, surf, snorkel or dive with a buddy.
• Follow local signage and swim between the flags at patrolled beaches.

Read more about how you can Be Safe. Be SharkSmart.

Shark control equipment

Nets or drumlines (baited hooks), or a combination of both, are used as shark control equipment at Queensland beaches to minimise the possibility of shark attacks.

In September 2019, changes were made to the locations of shark control equipment in north Queensland following a Federal Court decision. Shark control equipment has been removed from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area and additional equipment has been installed in some locations outside the marine park.

We recommend you swim at patrolled beaches that have shark control equipment in place.

Beaches with shark control equipment (as at October 2019)

Beaches where shark control equipment is no longer in place (as at September 2019)

A Federal Court decision requires that all sharks caught within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park must now be tagged and released alive within 24 hours of capture. At this time, the department cannot safely comply with these new conditions.

As a result, shark control equipment has been removed from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Shark control equipment has been removed from the following beaches.