Victoria’s tourism agency has removed a social media post that described an unpatrolled ocean beach on the Mornington Peninsula as a “pristine swimming spot” amid almost 150 rescues on the state’s beaches on Saturday.
Number 16 beach, on the Bass Strait side of Rye, is described on the Visit Victoria website as “recommended for experienced surfers only” as it is not patrolled by lifesavers. It has a reputation among local residents as dangerous.
A woman who lives on the peninsula told Guardian Australia that a post on Visit Melbourne’s Instagram page on Friday – at the start of a weekend heatwave – described the location as a “pristine swimming spot”. The wording was later changed to “pristine beach” before the post was removed altogether.
The Instagram page has 1.1 million followers.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said the post – a video of water cascading over rocks at the beach – had been removed after she emailed Visit Victoria on Saturday morning.
Drew Cooper, a member of the Mornington Peninsula Back Beaches Collective, said the surf beach’s rock pool was popular among photographers.
“When the sun goes down, photographers flock down to the reef and wait for the perfect shot,” he said. “It’s become a big thing on social media – people encouraging everyone to go down there.”
Cooper said the beach lacked signage warning of its dangers, which include freak waves, and the absence of rescue equipment.
Some residents had resorted to creating signs to distribute to dangerous beaches along the peninsula, he said.
When contacted by Guardian Australia, a spokesperson for Visit Victoria said its priority was community safety.
“Following community concern about a post about Number 16 Beach, we made the decision to remove it,” they said.
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Last February 20-year-old Jona Kinivuwai was swept off the coast at Number 16. His body has never been found.
His mother told Guardian Australia that Jona and his two friends had been running in and out of the waves before he tripped and was pulled into the water.
Guardian Australia reported that Jona and his friends had decided to visit the beach after seeing videos of it on TikTok.
Kane Treloar, the state agency commander at Life Saving Victoria, said 145 rescues had been performed and 60 medical incidents had been reported on Saturday.
“We don’t remember a day when we’ve been that busy and that many Victorians have needed our help,” he told reporters on Sunday.
In the 2023-24 financial year, LSV reported a record 849 rescues – up from 697 the previous reporting period.
Treloar said lifesavers had conducted two mass rescues at Portsea, on the Mornington Peninsula, and at Jan Juc in Torquay. Lifesavers pulled nine and 10 people, respectively, out of rip currents.
Two teenagers were hospitalised on Saturday after a collision between a jetski and a boat at Safety beach on Mornington Peninsula. Both are in a stable condition.
On Friday evening a man died after being discovered unresponsive at a beach in Rye.
Treloar said swimmers were increasingly seeking out remote locations. He urged them to stick to patrolled beaches.
Visit Melbourne’s website describes the “spectacular rock formations” at Number 16 beach, including “Dragon Head Rock”.
It warns visitors to be wary of tides and dangerous surf conditions.
“The sandy beach is a picturesque spot for a stroll or to sit and watch the sunset,” the website says.
“The beach is not patrolled and is recommended for experienced surfers only.”
