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Wellfleet Lifeguards and Beaches

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Wellfleet, MA
Wellfleet Lifeguards and Beaches

Recreation and safety information for the Wellfleet beaches and ponds.

08/18/2026

Rip currents can be powerful, but knowing what to do can save your life.

If you get caught in one, don’t panic and don’t fight the current.

🌊 Float or tread water and conserve your energy.

🏊 Strong swimmer? Swim parallel to shore (or perpendicular to the current) until you’re out of the current, then swim toward shore.

🗣️ If you can’t make it back, face the beach, wave and yell for help.

And the best way to avoid a rip current? Swim near a lifeguard and ask us about rip currents and water conditions before you get in. We can help you spot rip currents and avoid them.

Go with the flow, and break the grip of the rip! 🌊

Photo of a cape cod rip current (aerial view) by Josh Higgins

Helpful graphic by the National Weather Service 💛🌩️

08/15/2026

🦈🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏽‍♂️🦈 Sand Shark Relays photo montage incoming!

A few weeks ago, some of our fastest guards headed to Nauset Beach for the Sand Shark Relays, taking on a 2K beach run, 90-meter sprints, team relay sprints, and the crowd favorite: beach flags.

Our guards held their own, and we couldn’t be prouder. The crew included two of our junior guards and a mother-daughter+son team, proving that speed runs in the family. 🩷🩷🩵

Our athletes showed up ready to represent Wellfleet, complete with 5-finger war paint branding, courtesy of Lifeguard Colin. 🖐🏼😂

Since we can no longer hold our annual Cape Cod Lifeguard Competition due to the increased shark risk, we’re especially grateful for opportunities to compete alongside our neighboring beaches. Thanks to Nauset Beach Lifeguards for hosting, and congrats to all the competitors who showed up ready to run and battle it out in the sand! 🏖️🦈

Amazing action shots by Lifeguard Mom Kathleen Dooher 📷

07/28/2026

We've seen a lot of lion's mane jellyfish in the water this summer! Check out our Creature Feature from a few years ago to learn more about them. And if you get stung, notify a lifeguard. We have sting relief supplies in our med bags. Vinegar helps as well if you need a remedy at home! (Don't try that other home remedy you may have heard about - it doesn't work. 😆) 🪼

07/26/2026

We appreciate the kind words from beach patron Shiela! Our guards at Cahoon Hollow noticed that her grandmother was having some trouble and immediately went to her aid. Great job, Lifeguards Dylan, Connor, Adam, and Matt! 💪

"Shout out to the Cahoon Hollow beach lifeguards!!

My grandmother, unknowingly to me, followed me and my daughter to the beach! She's been walking with a cane for some time. I told her there was a serious incline and she should stay with my also disabled dad (who listened). We were going to eat at beachcomber and we're waiting the hour wait so my daughter and myself just went to check out the beach before we ate before a lifeguard informed me my grandmother was looking for me at the bottom of the beach
I said I told her not to come down!! I myself
had a hard time getting up that hill but the lifeguards managed to lift my grandmother up in a donated beach chair and carried her up that hill!! I'm in awe at how they did that and how amazing the lifeguards were!! They were so damn nice and helpful. Had I known she was following me I would have done it myself but I had no idea until one of the lifeguards found me in the ocean. They were seriously awesome."

Thanks, Sheila! We are happy to help and hope you and your family had a great day at the beach. Our guards said your grandmother was a wonderful patient - we are glad she's doing well. 🩷 And thank you to the lovely beach patron who leant us the chair.

Posted with permission/by request of the family. ☺️

07/16/2026

Wondering why our beaches have been drenched in sepia tones this week, looking especially apocalyptic? Anyone here from the West Coast likely knows the answer immediately:

These are wildfire skies. 🔥

Smoke from wildfires in the Midwest and Canada drifted all the way to the East Coast, filling our atmosphere with tiny particles that change the way sunlight reaches our eyes.

On a normal day, our blue skies are the result of Rayleigh scattering, where tiny air molecules scatter blue light more than the other colors. When wildfire smoke moves in, larger smoke particles take over. That’s called Mie scattering. Those particles scatter and absorb sunlight differently, filtering out much of the blue light and leaving behind the warm oranges and reds that have been lighting up our skies.

The result? An ocean that looks like it’s under a sepia filter, glowing orange suns, and some truly incredible (if slightly eerie) beach views. Beautiful to photograph, but less fun for air quality. Take care if you are sensitive to air quality issues and please grab a lifeguard if you are having any troubles at the beach! These issues may persist into the weekend.

🔥🌊🤎

07/08/2026

🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊

Just our annual appreciation post for our July 4th weekend guards! This year's crews braved extreme heat, extreme crowds, and extreme hoards of black flies to keep the beaches safe and enjoyable for our July 4th visitors. You are all invited back next year (except for those black flies, of course). 🚫🪰

🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊🇺🇸🌊

07/03/2026

July 4th on a Saturday?! During a heat wave?! Sounds like a job for the Wellfleet Lifeguards! 💪🇺🇸

If you’re headed to the beach today and tomorrow, come prepared—they’ll be some of the busiest (and hottest!) days of the summer. A Heat Advisory has been issued for Wellfleet through the evening of July 4th, so please take care of yourself and those around you. 🥵🆘

Here are a few tips to help everyone have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend:

☀️ Drink plenty of water throughout the day, take breaks in the shade, and reapply sunscreen often. Know the signs of heat exhaustion: dizziness, nausea, headache, heavy sweating, or confusion. If someone isn’t feeling well, get them into the shade and notify a lifeguard.

🐾 Leave pups at home in the AC. Their paws can’t handle the 167° hot sand and their fur-covered bodies can’t handle the weather. If you do bring your dog, don’t be surprised if a lifeguard talks to you, and be prepared to carry your dog up and down the dune.

🌊 Swim near a lifeguard and check the signs, flags, and whiteboards at the top of each beach for daily information on surf conditions, tides, and other beach hazards (🦈,🪼, etc.). If you have any questions, come ask us!

🚨 If you see someone who needs help, whether it’s a medical emergency or someone having trouble in the water, alert a lifeguard immediately. If you can’t reach one of us quickly, call 911 from your cell phone or use one of the emergency phones located in the beach parking lots.

♻️ Before you head home, please help keep our beaches beautiful by packing out everything you brought with you or using the dumpsters at the top of the dune to properly throw away trash.

We hope you have a fun, safe, and memorable Independence Day. Happy Fourth of July from the Wellfleet Lifeguards! 🇺🇸 🌊

06/30/2026

Why do we love the full moon?

For many of us (most of us), the beach is our church. The ocean is our sanctuary. A kahuna pole is our talisman. And the moon, the force that tugs and pulls on the very saltwater that makes us, is our spiritual guide, our anchor in the sky.

It reminds us that once (and sometimes twice!) each month, we should stop, come together, look up, and recognize the deep connection we share with the earth, the ocean, the sky, and something bigger than ourselves. We remember every lifeguard, friend, and family member who stood on this beach before us, and everyone who will stand here after us — all beneath the same moon. And we express gratitude for the tides that move us, and for the ties that bind us. 🌊

(We also dance a little bit. 💃🏻🕺🏼)

Happy first full moon of summer, everyone! 🍓🌕

💯

Address

Wellfleet, MA
02667

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Website

https://www.wellfleet-ma.gov/beaches

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