Chris Brien dreads the sight of tourists on black rocks.
The Surf Life Saving WA Esperance duty officer will call out when he spots them, urging them to retreat to a safe distance.
The rock's slippery surface, combined with the strong, unpredictable swell, has claimed too many lives over the years.
The latest tragedy came on Sunday when a 29-year-old tourist from Pakistan was washed off rocks at Chapmans Point.
"If you've grown up here, you've probably been told right from little, 'Don't walk on the black,'" he said.
"[But tourists are often] totally unaware that that is a problem."
Since 2010, 17 people have lost their lives off the Esperance coast.
It is understood there have been eight deaths in the past 10 years linked to the region's rocks.
Following the most recent loss of life, the community is once again left agonising about what it can do to keep people safe.
Esperance Shire president Ian Mickel said it was considering painting white lines on the coastal rocks as a visual reminder not to get too close.
He said a new "Lost at Sea" memorial, which the shire had budgeted $75,000 for this financial year, could provide another opportunity to educate the public.
"The primary purpose of it will, of course, be to acknowledge people's lives lost at sea, but it might be an opportunity to have some added information there," Mr Mickel said.
He said both ideas were at early stages and needed further council discussion.
Safety group calls for partners
Mr Brien is part of Esperance Coastal Safety, a community group dedicated to warning tourists about the ocean's dangers.
He said the group was looking for more partners to volunteer their time and money to help with raising awareness, and in particular, to launch a new educational video.
"We're trying to work out a safe way to do it but probably get a person to slip over on the black and fall into the water," he said.
"Obviously, we'll have safety all around them, and we'll recover them. But just show how easy it is to slip over on the black."
The group has already distributed safety messages via pamphlets, social media and word of mouth, with a goal to reach people as far and wide as possible.
"So, if people are coming across the Nullarbor, they're getting that information well before they come into town here," Mr Brien said.
"And if they're coming down from Perth, they getting it in Perth when they're looking to come down."
He said there were many easy things people could do to protect themselves at the beach, including taking note of signs and beach emergency numbers, taking time to look for rips and always arriving at the beach with a plan.
Local fishing and sporting shops also help by loaning out life jackets for free.
But Mr Brien also said the whole community had a role to play in keeping people safe.
"If you see someone that could be in danger, and may be ignorant of the risk, let them know," he said.
"Just let them know that they're in danger, and that they should be doing something else."
