Wellfleet Lifeguards and Beaches

09/06/2025

🚨 Reminders for the off-season 🚨

This weekend is the 1st weekend in 11 weeks that we haven’t worked at the Wellfleet beaches. 😭

We hope many of you will enjoy the Wellfleet beaches for weeks to come, so without us there, please remember these safety tips:

🦈 Sharks: Late summer into fall has peak white shark activity along Cape Cod. Assume they’re always present. Use the Sharktivity app for recent sightings and alerts from tagged sharks that ping the buoys, which will stay at Newcomb Hollow and Lecount Hollow for the next few weeks.

🌊 Rip Currents: Water conditions can still be tricky this time of year. Deeper water near sandbars often creates the most dangerous rips. Go with the flow until the current dissipates or swim perpendicular to the direction of the current to get out of it.

🏖️ Safer Spots: Shallow areas on the sandbar where waves are breaking are generally less hazardous than the deeper channels in front of or next to sandbars.

🌊 Shorebreak: Waves breaking in shallow water or on the shoreline can be powerful—go UNDER the big ones, not over.

🆘 Emergencies: Call 911 or use the emergency call boxes in the parking lots. Bright orange Stop the Bleed kits are located at the top of each dune. The call boxes and STB kits will remain there all winter.

🍂 Thank you all again for a great summer. Please stay alert, stay safe, and enjoy these beautiful fall beach days! We look forward to seeing you on the beach next season! Only 41 weeks to go… 🗓️

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09/05/2025

Pretty cool training location! 💙🌊

09/03/2025

We truly wish Cape Cod summers were endless, but September—and with it, the end of Lifeguard Summer—just hit us like a ton of beach bricks. 🌊🧱

This summer was unforgettable- big waves, challenging conditions, and busy beaches, managed effortlessly by our incredible squad who rallied together, kept the beaches safe, and upheld our Wellfleet Lifeguarding traditions. We kept our bonds stronger than ever, and we’ll miss our beach family (on the stands and in the sand). 🥲

We’ll be back with a few safety reminds for the off-season, but as the sun sets on another Lifeguard Summer, thank you all for making this one amazing. Until summer ’26! 🌊❤️

08/31/2025

Interesting day on OVD yesterday! We are glad we were able to help Wellfleet Fire Department with the response to this incident and happy no one was hurt.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

08/30/2025

Hurricane Erin and the week of double red flag days it caused gave us the opportunity to do some fun training in the large waves and swift currents: strenuous paddles, breath-holding drills, and maneuvering in the strong currents to get where we needed to be. Here, some of our guards enjoy the rewards from completing their training. 🌀🌊💪🚩🚩

Slides 2-6:
Slides 7-12:
Slide 13:
Slides 14-15: on the outer bar !

📷 & 📹 by .glovebox .3490 and

08/27/2025

🌬️🌀We never know what will wash up on our beaches during a storm! One of AWSC’s shark tags took quite the journey over the past few weeks:

📍 8/11 – It was deployed on a shark in Cape Cod Bay.
📍 8/13 – The tag popped off the shark near Stellwagen Bank and began sending signals.
📍 8/14 – The AWSC team took a boat out to Stellwagon Bank and searched for hours,— even using binoculars when the battery died and the signal was lost — but didn’t find it. The tag was considered lost at sea.
📍08/21 – Waves and currents from Hurricane Erin pushed the tag all the way back down to Lecount Hollow Beach, right into the hands of some very good friends of AWSC: the Wellfleet Lifeguards! (Thanks to the beach patrons who found it and turned it in!)

After more than a week at sea meandering on a long, serendipitous trip, the tag is now back in AWSC’s hands. 🤝

📷 Photo of the shark tag, back with the Wellfleet Lifeguards, along with a map showing its location near Stellwagon Bank (north pin) and Lecount Hollow Beach (south pin).



🦈

08/19/2025

Hurricane Erin is expected to stay out to sea, but will bring powerful surf and dangerous rip currents to Cape Cod Tuesday through Friday. Conditions will be hazardous even for strong swimmers, and the effects may last well after the storm passes offshore.

⚠️ Pay close attention to lifeguards and beach flags:

🟥🟥 Double red = water closed
🟥 Red = high hazard
🟨 Yellow = moderate hazard

Looking for more safety tips? Check out our recent posts on rip currents and shorebreak (links in our stories). Always read the daily beach updates on the signs before heading down the dune, and don’t hesitate to ask a lifeguard if you have any questions! 🆘

Graphics by the amazing Boston office.

08/15/2025

🌊 Shorebreak Safety Tips 🌊

We’ve had several rescues and assists over the past week due to sizable shorebreak, with more to come as Tropical Storm Erin moves up the East Coast. When waves break right on the sand, they can hit with surprising force — even for strong swimmers.

🚫 If there’s big shorebreak, do NOT go in the water unless you are experienced in the ocean.

If you do find yourself in the impact zone on a big wave day:

🌊 Go UNDER large waves — not over them. Trying to go over is how you get slammed into the sand. Diving under and letting the wave pass over you is the SAFEST way to make it through a big wave. (We cannot stress this enough!)
🌊 Skip the boogie board — in shorebreak, it’s more likely to pitch you over the falls than give you a long ride.
🌊 Watch before you enter — check wave size and timing, as well as where they’re breaking.
🌊 Never turn your back on the ocean — large waves can appear without warning.
🌊 Enter and exit between sets — move quickly but carefully.
🌊 Protect your head and neck if knocked down — tuck your chin and shield with your arms.

🆘 Know the flags & ask the lifeguards:

🟨 Yellow = Medium hazard
🟥 Red = High hazard
🟥🟥 Double red = Water closed to swimming

Flags may be flown for rip currents, dangerous shorebreak, or other ocean hazards. When in doubt, ask a lifeguard — we’ll let you know where it is (and isn’t) safe to go in.

Enjoy the ocean’s energy, but respect its power. We love big waves, too — let’s just make sure to have fun AND be safe. 🌊💪🏄🏽‍♀️🏄🏼‍♂️

08/08/2025

🦈 Peak White Shark Season is Here 🦈

It’s officially peak white shark season on Cape Cod (August–October). That means more sharks are cruising our waters looking for seals—sometimes close to shore.

The only way to guarantee you won’t run into one? Stay on the beach. But if you’re heading in, here’s how to :

🏖️ Stay close to shore where help can reach you quickly—ideally in shallow water and near lifeguards.

🦭 Sharks can and sometimes do hunt in shallow water. Keep that in mind when you choose where to swim.

🟥🟥 Follow all signage, flag warnings, and lifeguard instructions. Two red flags = the water is closed.

🏄🏽‍♀️🏊🏼‍♂️ Swim, paddle, kayak, and surf in groups—never alone.

🐟 Avoid seals, schools of fish, and murky water.

💦 Limit splashing.

📳⛑️ Know where the emergency call boxes + Stop the Bleed kits are located. At the Wellfleet beaches, they’re on the top of the dune at all four town beaches. Lifeguards have kits in our med bags, too.

📱 Keep an eye out for each other and share info on any confirmed sightings via the Sharktivity app. You’ll find info about any tagged sharks passing by there, too.

📍 Questions? Ask the lifeguards—we’re here to help you understand flag warnings, buoy pings, and general info about white sharks.



(Wonderful infographic by the AWSC and shark photo by a pilot friend of the Wellfleet Lifeguards.)

08/01/2025

⛈️ Thunderstorm Safety Reminder ⛈️

Thunderstorms storms can roll in quickly, and we’ve already experienced a few at our beaches this summer. If you hear thunder or see lightning, it’s your cue to pack up and leave the beach immediately. 🎒⛱️

We closely monitor the weather and radar and when a thunderstorm approaches, we will alert beach patrons about the danger. The safest place to be is off the beach and inside a fully enclosed building or vehicle. So head up the dune and into your cars! (See all those people in the second photo? They are doing the right thing!) 🚙🚗🛻

As the National Weather Service (NWS) says: “When thunder roars, go indoors!” Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before heading back to the beach. ⚡️➕3️⃣0️⃣

Stay safe, and we’ll see you back on the sand and in the water after the storm rolls through! ⛈️➡️🌤️

07/27/2025

Big shoutout to our Newcomb Hollow crews! 👏

As in past years, Newks has a tricky sandbar setup this year — deep areas between the shoreline and sandbar can make for a challenging swim between the two, especially during the incoming tide. Our team has been working hard to keep everyone safe, including during water evacuations caused by shark sightings or buoy pings when everyone needs to come off the sandbar and head back to shore. (You’ll likely see us out on our boards shepherding everyone in and assisting when needed.)

📸 Speaking of buoy pings, here’s the Saturday crew at Newcomb Hollow taking a quick photo while the water was temporarily closed due to tagged white shark Pearl passing by. 🦈

Safety reminders:
✨ That stretch between the beach and the sandbar can get deep quickly! Use caution when crossing.
✨ Double red flags = water closed. 🟥🟥