Chris Houlahan is relieved no-one else was admiring the cliffs at Esperance's Ten Mile Lagoon on Thursday evening.
The recreational fisherman had travelled to the relatively isolated stretch of sand west of town with his daughter, to cast a line and explore.
But just as she prepared to take his photo, a deafening sound erupted up the beach.
Mr Houlahan turned and witnessed a sight he would later describe as "scary, awesome, and fantastic".
"'I've seen the whole side of the cliff face — about 100 metres up from where we were — just let go," he said.
"It just sounded like thunder.
"As soon as it hit, the whole ground shook."
He said the collapse released dust that made it hard to breathe.
"It burned your eyes, like you're at the drag racing," he said.
"And just took your breath away."
The Esperance resident, who has been fishing in the area much of his life, said he had never seen anything like it.
The experience left him grateful for two reasons — firstly to have witnessed it, as he "sort of likes that sort of stuff" and often looks up videos of similar events online, but primarily that no-one was hurt by the falling rock.
"If anybody was there, good night Irene, that [would have been] it," he said.
'Natural erosion event'
Mr Houlahan believed the rising sea was to blame, saying it had gradually eaten away at the bottom part of the cliff, leaving the top portion unsupported and unstable.
He believed a similar phenomenon was happening at a handful of Esperance beaches, particularly at Observatory and Ten Mile, and urged visitors to be careful.
"You have to use your common sense," he said.
"When you're out there, don't stand under a cliff."
He said he would soon head out to the beach to inspect another section of the cliff, which also looked ready to fall at any moment.
The Shire of Esperance said it was aware of the collapse, calling it a "natural erosion event".
A spokesperson said signs were already in place to warn beachgoers of coastal dangers.
The spokesperson said the cliffs were in an unvested reserve managed by the state Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.
The department has been contacted for comment.
Esperance cliff collapse prompts safety warning from local fisherman - ABC News
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