Residents of Melbourne's Brighton beach were astonished to discover a leopard seal basking on the shoreline yesterday. It follows a string of similar incidents in Sydney and Tasmania. Needless to say, attempting to approach these large predators can be dangerous - but did you know it's also illegal? Apparently, it's an offence to be within a whopping 30 metres of all seal species.

Beachcombing for rare and beautiful seashells is a popular pastime for many Australians. But have you ever stopped to consider the legalities of your collection?

Contrary to popular belief, you can't just pick up and take home any shell that takes your fancy. Here are some of the rules you need to follow.

Brief news items of note from Lifehacker readers, including: the Top Ten beaches in Australia, best apps for when you're preggers, Dyson's grand plans for an electric car of its own.

This post was originally published on January 3 2017 over on Lifehacker. This sponsored repost is brought to you by Surf Life Saving Australia

If you're planning on hitting the beach this summer, take a look at this handy guide before you dive into the water so you know how to escape a deadly rip current. It might just save your life.

Stings from a Portuguese man o' war are as common as they are dangerous, yet there's a lack of consensus over the best way to treat these painful pricks. New research published in the journal Toxins reveals that stings from the man o' war (Physalia species) shouldn't be treated any differently than stings from jellyfish, a conclusion that upends conventional wisdom. And no, peeing on yourself is not recommended.

It'll be a while before many people are back at the beach, but it's the end of winter, and right around now is when we'll start to see all the "prepare your beach bod" ads. Once you're there, we want to know: how do you keep your stuff from getting stolen?