My feet were planted on the same strand, and this post’s photo was taken only moments later than was the final image in this series’ chapter #6.
Common to both: foam…foam with which one can be “relaxed and comfortable”.
Its presence on Yeagarup Beach was entirely benign.
No alga was “blooming”.
The Warren River’s and the relevant section of the Southern Ocean’s waters were not polluted.
Q: so what was going on?
A: The winter-swollen Warren River had received a generous dose of natural tannins, courtesy of the local “virgin” forest.
Those tannins are the primary reason that even a “pristine” Australian river’s water can be “surprisingly” dark. (other natural “foam-producing” substances can also be involved)
When such waters meet a very lively ocean, the resulting “churn” can yield a lot of “suds”.
On 16 August 2025 Yeagarup Beach looked gorgeous, and it was an unmitigated pleasure to inhale, deeply.
We saw absolutely no evidence of dead or dying marine fauna.