Back in February, 24-year-old Tara Jeisman from the northern Perth suburb of Kingsley saw a photo of the sun rising over Trigg Beach, posted by a friend on Instagram after she’d been for an early-morning swim.

Inspired, Tara – who lives a 12-minute drive from the ocean and usually only swims a handful of times each summer – set her alarm and made a solitary trip to the beach at 5am the following day, something she says filled her with nervousness. Before she did so, though, she documented her experience on TikTok as she would often do – from making the decision the night before to waking up and getting ready in the morning, to diving into the still water at sunrise.

The response, she says, took her by surprise.

“So many people commented on that TikTok and said, ‘Oh my gosh, that looks so cool. I've been wanting to do that as well’,” Tara said.

“I had about 93 people across three different Instagram group chats trying to organise [a meet-up].”

Four girls who had seen the TikTok video joined Tara at her next sunrise swim the following week. Their number grew to 18 by her third swim, and she realised that her videos were connecting a community of like-minded women who may have otherwise never taken a solo plunge. Three weeks after her initial early-morning dip, she created Sea Gals.

“It was never an idea planted in my own head by my own intuition, it was everyone else – the inspiration was the people that came,” Tara said.

“I only started the Instagram because the girls coming to the events said that I should [and] we've now hit 8100 followers.

“We've gone from our wee little five attendees [at] the first one and we're now averaging between 50 and 120 attendees every event.”

Tara began organising weekly swims and get-togethers, creating merchandise and building partnerships with Perth businesses, all the while teaching Indigenous and cross-cultural psychology at Curtin University and working a number of other side hustles. Due to an overwhelming online response from women across the country asking if Sea Gals would be expanding, she put a call-out for women across Australia to join Sea Gals as interstate event organisers.

In September, disability support worker Sarah Fahy, who moved from the United States to the Illawarra over three years ago, raised her hand to run Sea Gals Wollongong.

“I saw [Sea Gals] on TikTok probably last February or March, and I was like, 'What a cool idea', [and] I looked up where they are and I'm like, 'Oh man, it's in Perth',” Sarah said.

“Then it just so happened that a few months later I was in Perth, and I messaged the Instagram page asking if they were doing a swim … so I went, and I got to meet the founder, Tara Jeisman.

“I was really in a transforming period of my life, and so I felt like I was able to be vulnerable with the girls and everyone was sharing why they were there that morning. And, of course, there were dolphins as we were going in.”

Describing her swim with Sea Gals in Perth as “magical”, Sarah was elated to be given the opportunity to share that experience with women at home in the Illawarra. She was the obvious choice to host Sea Gals Wollongong, Tara says.

“I had an amazing connection with her, and she just said, ‘Hey, I'm going to Wollongong and I'm keen to start [Sea Gals there]',” Tara said.

“I was like, 'Sure', because from the beginning it's always been about the people attending ... because it's such an awesome thing to experience.”

Sea Gals Wollongong have held four sunrise swims since mid-October, opting for a dip at the beautiful Towradgi Beach each time, though Sarah says more beaches along the Illawarra coastline are on her radar for when the group – which is currently at four – grows.

“There's definitely quite a few girls that are interested, I think it's just planning [the] timing,” Sarah said.

“Anyone that identifies as a woman, non-binary people, they're all welcome to join.

“I think it’s a wonderful way to make friends, join community and feel included.”

Sea Gals has now also been established in Broome, Newcastle, Sydney and the Gold Coast. Tara says the movement has not only changed her life but brought immense confidence to the once-strangers that she now calls friends.

“I think it’s become a part of my identity; I think this is my future,” Tara said.

“Just to see the connections and friendships that have been made, and the connections that I've made with people, all the girls on my team I never knew before Sea Gals, it's all been through this.

“I've seen a lot of body positivity … and mental health has been a massive [aspect] as well.

“It might just be a fun thing for one person, but it might mean quite a lot to another.”

Sea Gals is all-inclusive to women, womxn, trans-women, non-binary, and gender fluid gals of all ages.

Their motto is to come as you are – no need for makeup, shaving, washed hair, etc.

To find out more about Sea Gals events, visit their website.