A shark warning has been issued for the waters off Rockingham after a whale carcass washed ashore.
The warning came from Surf Life Saving on Saturday morning saying that the public had reported seeing a shark around 10am at a surf break off Port Kennedy.
Public report unknown sp. shark sighted 09:57hrs 23/07 Port Kennedy, Rockingham, Cont
— Surf Life Saving WA (@SLSWA) July 23, 2016
The Surf Life Saving warning followed a warning issued by the Department of Parks and Wildlife on Friday saying that a whale carcass had been beached on a sandbar between Seal Island and the mainland, about 500 metres from the shore.
That location is just north of where the shark was sighted on Saturday morning.
"It is possible the decomposing carcass will act as an attractant that could lead to sharks coming close in to shore along this stretch of coast," the statement said.
"People should exercise caution while the whale carcass remains in the area."
The department urged people to obey any beach closures put in place by local government rangers or Surf Life savers.
"Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA's twitter feed," it said.
Anyone who sees a shark should report it to the Water Police on 9442 8600.
