Cairns beaches closed after stings and captures

Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) has announced all Cairns beaches will be closed on Friday and across the weekend, following a significant increase in stinger activity.

A high-risk alert has been issued for the region, following stings at Palm Cove and Trinity Beach on Thursday, while lifeguards have also captured more than 30 stingers while conducting routine drags over the past 24 hours.

Closures will include Ellis Beach, Holloways Beach, Palm Cove, Clifton Beach, Kewarra Beach, Trinity Beach, and Yorkeys Knob.

SLSQ Cairns lifeguard supervisor Jay March urged people to stay out of the water.

“It’s simply not safe to have the beaches open at this point in time, particularly with these sustained conditions, and the sheer number of stingers we’re seeing in the water,” he said.

“The beaches will be closed over the coming days and, at this stage, they won’t be reopened until conditions change and take those stingers back out to sea.

“Our advice is clear – please stay out of the water until beaches have been reopened to the public.

“We know some people may be disappointed, but it’s a decision we’ve made in the interests of everyone’s safety.”

Mr March said the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon would remain open for anyone looking to cool down in the water, but encouraged swimmers to put safety first and keep a close eye on their children.