People heading to Shelly Beach over the Christmas and January holidays will have lifeguards on duty for the first time, bringing regular patrols to one of Manly’s most popular coastal spots during its busiest summer weeks.
NBC lifeguards will patrol the beach from 21 December until 31 January 2027, with the service funded through the BCC’s special variation to rates. The protected marine reserve in Cabbage Tree Bay is popular with snorkellers and scuba divers, while about one million people use the 1.5-kilometre Marine Parade promenade linking Manly and Shelly beaches each year.
Lifeguards Join An Already Busy Stretch of Coast
Shelly Beach has previously operated without regular lifeguard or lifesaver patrols, despite its popularity and the number of people moving between it and Manly Beach. An Emergency Response Beacon is already installed at the beach after the location was identified as high risk.
The beacon allows members of the public to contact the Surf Life Saving State Operations Centre directly in an emergency. The new summer patrol will add lifeguards on the beach itself during the peak holiday period, rather than relying solely on emergency response infrastructure.
Ms Sue Heins said the patrol would add to existing beach safety services during the busiest part of summer. BCC lifeguards will also work alongside Surf Life Saving NSW and the NSW Government’s Shark Management Program, with drone surveillance used to help identify hazards.
The wider 2026–27 patrol season is already under way across the Northern Beaches. Freshwater Beach patrols began on 29 August, other seasonal beaches returned to patrol from 26 September, while Manly and Dee Why beaches remain patrolled throughout the year.
Extra Eyes On The Water After Serious Incidents
The new patrol follows several serious incidents at and near Shelly Beach in recent years. A man in his 40s died in June 2026 after being pulled unconscious from the water while spearfishing near the beach. A person also died following a scuba diving incident at Shelly Beach in November 2024, while a 32-year-old South Korean tourist drowned there in January 2024.
Across the Northern Beaches, more than 14 million beach visits are recorded each year. BCC lifeguards carried out 960 rescues last season, provided first aid to 4,017 people and undertook more than 530,000 preventative actions.
Shelly Beach’s first patrol will run through the Christmas and January holiday rush before finishing on 31 January 2027, giving beachgoers an on-site lifeguard presence during one of the most heavily used periods of the year.
Published 28-September-2026
