Community shares concerns over 'creepy' behaviour at Wreck Beach

While Wreck Beach has long been known as a popular clothing-optional destination, some community members are speaking out about creepy behaviour that has made their visits uncomfortable or deterred them from going altogether.

The responses followed a post in the Vancouver subreddit, where one person shared their experience at the beach from a recent trip with a few others.

“We spent a few hours down by trail 4 on Saturday, and a fully clothed 20-something guy decided to position himself 50 feet away, facing directly at us on the beach with his back to the water. For a good chunk of the time, he had his phone propped with the cameras clearly facing right at us,” they wrote.

“This went on for over an hour, with the other beachgoers near us expressing their discomfort as well. We’re pretty used to being ogled at, cruised, or creeped on, so we just blew it off.”

They noted that when they packed up to leave with their group, the man followed them to the beach stairs and “eyed them head to toe” while continuing to follow them.

“It’s getting worse every year. Fully clothed younger men [who] somehow make the older nude pervy cruisers seem safe to be around. At least those older guys usually aren’t immune to hints, aren’t stalking, and aren’t pointing their cameras at people for hours,” they stated.

The post sparked discussion with comments from other individuals who shared their frustrations.

“Back in the day, the previously more prevalent veterans had a way of dealing with creeps like this, with methodologies I’m not allowed to mention here. Sadly, with each passing year, it’s become more and more rare to see those confrontations in action,” shared one beachgoer.

“The only thing I could think of now is to take pictures and videos in turn of the perpetrator, but of course, that always stands the chance of escalating the situation into violence. Not exactly ideal given the circumstance.”

“It’s always been gross down there. Guys get away with behaviours that would not be acceptable anywhere else, so it’s a magnet for them,” said another.

One person said they haven’t been to the beach in years “because of a similar experience.”

“As a person in a female body since birth who also grew up here, I am way too familiar with this type of harassment and it absolutely sucks,” stated a commenter.

Daily Hive reached out to the original poster of the Reddit comment, but did not hear back before publication.

‘Wreck Beach is a sacred space’

This isn’t the first time Daily Hive has covered concerning behaviour at the beach.

Last summer, we reported that a local company was charging nearly $400 for “beach tours.”

An online description of the tour, which has since been removed, claimed that participants would “embark on a unique and liberating Vancouver adventure with the Vancouver clothing-optional (nude) beach with Evening attraction Private – an exclusive and personalized journey that seamlessly combines the scenic beauty of a clothing-optional beach with an evening attraction.”

The tour company, GlobalDuniya, issued a statement claiming that it just dropped participants off at the Wreck Beach parking lot and what happened after that was “out of their control.”

GlobalDuniya also claimed that they hadn’t conducted any Wreck Beach tours since 2021, despite having listings for the experience on their site as of 2024.

Daily Hive also got in touch with several patrons who highlighted that the tour could invite inappropriate behaviour and compromise the safety of visitors.

“Wreck Beach is a sacred space,” Abby DeForest, one of the passionate beachgoers, told Daily Hive at the time.

“There is a reason we feel comfortable being naked there. There are rules for being on the beach, including not taking pictures of anyone. This ‘tour group’ seems completely voyeuristic to me.”

What are the rules?

While there don’t appear to be any official rules of Wreck Beach online, the University of British Columbia does have some information for visitors, as the beach is located on the school’s endowment lands.

“Come for the beautiful nature views, but please give other beach-goers their privacy,” states its website.

Signs at the beach also instruct visitors to “respect people’s privacy.”

Daily Hive contacted University RCMP about what visitors should do if they feel like their privacy is being violated.

“Everyone has a right to feel safe and anyone who feels unsafe should contact police,” stated Sgt. Vanessa Munn, media relations representative for the Lower Mainland District, in a statement.

Daily Hive also reached out to the Wreck Beach Preservation Society for further comment and we’ll update this story with their response.

With files from Amir Ali

Want to stay on top of all things Vancouver? Follow us on X.