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Entry 584Filed under Breeding

Joondalup Cleared Seaweed and Posted Sea-Hare Warnings at Hillarys Dog Beach After Reported Dog Deaths

The City of Joondalup’s September 2025 response at Hillarys Dog Beach included warning signs and seaweed removal after reports of dog illness and deaths. Here is what the warning means and what remains unknown now.
3-minute read By Animalso Team
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In September 2025, the City of Joondalup put warning signs at pedestrian access ways to Hillarys Dog Beach and removed most seaweed from the beach after reports that dogs had become ill and at least two had died. The warning concerned poisonous sea hares that may be hidden in seaweed. PerthNow reported that a mass of seaweed remained in the water and could wash ashore later; the City said it would continue monitoring and cleaning as conditions allowed. These are actions reported at the time, not confirmation of conditions today.

What Joondalup did at Hillarys Dog Beach

PerthNow reported on 25 September 2025 that the City installed signs at the beach’s pedestrian access ways warning that poisonous sea hares might be in the area, and arranged for most washed-up seaweed to be removed. City chief executive James Pearson said the signs were intended to alert beachgoers to the possible hazard. The report said seaweed remained in the water and could wash ashore, and that the City would keep monitoring the beach and cleaning it as able. PerthNow’s report describes the response as it stood then.

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Why sea hares in seaweed can endanger dogs

Sea hares are marine molluscs that may be difficult to spot among seaweed. A dog that sniffs, licks, or chews a stranded animal could be exposed to its toxins. The Western Australian Government warns that sea hares are toxic and dangerous to dogs if consumed; the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) says some sea hares produce toxin that can be deadly to animals that lick or ingest them. That does not mean every sea hare is equally toxic or that a particular exposure has a predictable outcome. The WA Government’s sea-hare alert and DWER’s 2025 update explain the animal hazard.

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The WA Government’s 2022 description says sea hares can grow up to 60 cm long; that is a species description, not a measurement of an animal found at Hillarys. The government says they do not pose a threat to human health, and DWER’s 2025 update describes them as safe for people to handle. Nevertheless, do not encourage a dog to investigate or mouth a stranded animal, and avoid contact with suspicious slime or ink.

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What to do if your dog may have licked or eaten one

Contact a veterinarian immediately if you suspect your dog has been exposed. PerthNow reported that symptoms can develop quickly and listed over-excitement, tremors, seizures, drooling, and vomiting. These signs are not necessarily complete or specific to sea-hare poisoning, so do not wait for a particular symptom or try to diagnose the cause yourself. The report’s advice is to seek veterinary help immediately when poisoning is suspected.

Are the signs or cleanup still in place?

The sources documenting the signs and seaweed removal describe the City’s response in September 2025. They do not establish whether signs remain, whether more seaweed or sea hares are present, or whether an active warning applies in October 2026. Check a current City of Joondalup notice or contact the City before treating the old report as a live beach alert.

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Hillarys dog-beach rules do not override a hazard warning

The City’s dog-exercise guidance designates Hillarys Dog Beach for dogs year-round. Dogs may be off-lead within the dog-beach area when under effective control and supervision, but must be leashed on the access path and in the carpark. Those ordinary exercise rules do not establish that off-lead activity is safe during a hazard event. Follow any current warning and keep your dog away from suspicious strandings. The City’s dog-exercise guidance sets out the local rules.

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Hardy Inlet strandings are context, not an explanation for Hillarys

WA authorities have investigated separate sea-hare strandings at Hardy Inlet near Augusta, but those events do not identify the cause of the Hillarys hazard. For a 2021 Hardy Inlet stranding, DWER scientist Joanna Browne and marine mollusc specialist Fred Wells considered persistent strong easterly winds a likely factor: currents may have concentrated sea hares and pushed them onto beaches near the inlet mouth. In April 2025, scientists observed approximately 1,135 stranded animals across four Hardy Inlet sites. DWER said strong south and southeasterly winds, waves and currents, and an unusually high spring tide likely dislodged animals from intertidal habitat and carried them into the estuary; measured oxygen, salinity, and pH were within normal ranges for March, while sea temperatures were slightly cooler than average. These findings concern Hardy Inlet, not Hillarys. The 2022 government account and DWER’s 2025 update provide that context.

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