Walking in nature is one of my go-to serotonin boosters. It doesn’t matter if it is the beach or the woods; being out in nature, taking a walk, is such a grounding experience. My peace would be beyond disturbed, however, if I stumbled upon what one Australian beach walker did while out for a morning stroll. About 7 a.m. in early January 2026, a man was walking along the shoreline at Fence Reef Beach in Perth when he spotted a severed human head washed ashore, according to The Mirror US.
Local authorities have not fully disclosed all of the details but there is speculation it could belong to missing snorkeler Wen “Walter” Ren Gu, The Mirror US reported. Ren Gu has reportedly been missing since New Year’s Day after he was separated from his group of friends at Ledge Point Beach.
A WA Police spokesperson released a statement that acknowledged the head could be Ren Gu’s. “Formal identification is yet to be completed but it is believed to be a 32-year-old man who went missing on January 1, 2026. His death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the coroner,” the statement read, per The Mirror US.
According to Surfer Magazine, police also went on to clarify some of the mystery behind his disappearance.
“His death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the coroner,” the outlet reported.
Many locals apparently believe that Ren Gu was likely a victim of a shark attack as Western Australian infamously has lots of the predators. A recent report from the International Shark Attack File claims: “Australia typically averages the second-highest number of reported bites and fatalities. Of the 13 shark species that have been known to bite humans, all of them have distributions in Australia’s waters.
“White sharks and bull sharks are particularly common,” the report continues. “White sharks form two overlapping populations along the southwest and southeast spurs of the continent, each with a few hundred adults, down significantly from their estimated historical size.”
While obviously not common, things like this are not unheard of. In late 2024, TNND reported that a human head was discovered on a beach in Florida in the United States, which was confirmed to be missing swimmer Victor Enrique Castaneda Jr. The Miami-Dade County medical examiner’s office confirmed it identified him through dental records. In this case, it was suspected that he drowned, but there were no theories as to why only his head washed ashore.
Hopefully, Ren Gu’s family will be able to get closure soon regarding the tragic incident.
