Peggy’s Cove, N.S., the backdrop of many selfies, lays down the law for risky tourist behaviour

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Olessia Kouzina had seen plenty of photos of Nova Scotia’s Peggy’s Cove before but was not prepared for how awe-inspiring it would be in person. The massive clusters of rocks, the setting in a quaint fishing village, the country’s most famous lighthouse, the soothing sound of the gently churning waves and the –

“TWEET!”

Security guard Japneet Singh blows his whistle at Ms. Kouzina, who has wandered onto the forbidden “black rocks” – the ones close enough to the Atlantic Ocean that they’ve been lapped by waves. She scowls at him. Mr. Singh’s neon yellow vest, his whistle, his general presence are all killing the vibe for Ms. Kouzina, who is visiting from Toronto (she does, however, move to safer ground).

Is a security guard really necessary here? she asks. “Maybe if they just had a sign like, ‘This is how you walk on these rocks.’”

There are plenty of signs greeting the 700,000 annual visitors to Peggy’s Cove but their tone is far more ominous.

“WARNING,” blares the metal plaque affixed to the base of the lighthouse. “INJURY AND DEATH HAVE REWARDED CARELESS SIGHT SEERS HERE. THE OCEAN AND ROCKS ARE TREACHEROUS. SAVOUR THE SEA FROM A DISTANCE.”

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Most locals know that this is not the beach, and are careful on the rocks. But decades of reckless behaviour, much of it by tourists, have resulted in drownings and expensive rescue missions. And now, to the relief of many Nova Scotians, the province has staffed Peggy’s Cove with security guards.

For every five tourist photos of the lighthouse on social media, there’s an admonishing video posted by a local, capturing foolhardy visitors taking a selfie on the black rocks, waves violently crashing around them.

Last month a supercut of Mr. Singh blowing his whistle at visitors with the text “No one works harder than the security guard at Peggy’s Cove” went viral on TikTok and Instagram, the comments section divided between Maritimers applauding Mr. Singh and others calling his presence authoritarian.

It’s emblematic of the growing tensions at popular destinations around the world. In July, as part of a protest in Barcelona, locals sprayed tourists with water pistols. Some Greek islands declared a state of emergency this summer after water shortages, which many blamed on tourists. Amsterdam launched an ad campaign in 2023 to discourage young British men from visiting, citing their drunken unruliness.

The Nova Scotia government introduced the Peggy’s Cove guards – who work for a local private security company – in August, 2022, four months after a pair of brothers fell into the water, one to his death.

This year, guards have been on site daily since mid-May for 12-hour shifts and will be stationed there till January. The annual cost of the program, which employs seven guards, is about $79,000.

Though Mr. Singh – at 6 feet 4 inches tall and 243 pounds – has the imposing presence of a bouncer, he is armed with nothing but a whistle. He’s not trained or expected to rescue people, but can administer first aid if someone twists an ankle.

Since 2022, there have been an average of 19 interventions each day, according to the province, but they’ve become more frequent this year, averaging 35 a day. On the Friday before Labour Day weekend, Mr. Singh logged 41 interventions and another guard on duty logged 51.

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Whether it’s crossing a barrier to take a cliffside photo or leaning over a rough body of water to document its beauty, selfies have been blamed for hundreds of deaths in the past two decades. A 2023 article in the Journal of Medical Internet Research reported 379 selfie-related deaths around the world between 2008 and 2021.

The people requiring the most “interventions” at Peggy’s Cove are in their 20s and 30s, Mr. Singh says, but noted the most reckless behaviour he’s witnessed this year was a man, who appeared to be in his 60s, lying on a black rock as his companion took a photo.

“If you slip there’s nothing to catch yourself, it could be very risky,” Mr. Singh said.

Most locals are happy about his presence, he says. But then there are visitors, such as Alan Czajkowski, Ms. Kouzina’s common-law partner, who are irritated by it.

“I’m sure there’s plenty of locals who wouldn’t mind lifeguarding here. Locals who know the waters would know how to save people.”

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But rescues at Peggy’s Cove are particularly treacherous because of the depth of the water and rogue waves that can quickly pull people into the ocean or throw them against the rocks. In 2022, when the two brothers fell into the ocean, emergency response came from the RCMP, the coast guard, fire crews, paramedics and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.

In the past 17 years, Halifax Fire has logged eight water rescue calls at Peggy’s Cove.

A viewing deck was installed in 2021, designed in part to offer the public a way to experience the unobstructed beauty of the ocean while avoiding the rocks. It hasn’t deterred risk-takers.

Winnipegger Cameron Richards stands on the black rocks taking pictures, occasionally beckoning his family – sitting a good 10 metres away – to join him closer to the water. His son, Nolan, finally does.

Not a minute later, Mr. Singh’s whistle pierces the air and he waves at the pair to head in his direction.

“Buzz off, you know what I mean?” Mr. Richards says when Mr. Singh is out of earshot. He remembers visiting Peggy’s Cove as a kid and sitting right at the water’s edge.

Mr. Singh does a loop of the site, stopping at a few known perches that offer a wide view of the area.

Twenty-four minutes later, Mr. Singh is back where he started. Something catches his eye and he walks down a sloped rock to get a better view.

“TWEET!” the whistle shrieks.

Mr. Richards, who had been crouching on an incline to take a picture of the ocean, stands up and sheepishly jogs back to higher ground.

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