Sydney’s beaches enter the drone age to get swimmers back in the water after spate of shark attacks
Summary
Sydney has started using drones to watch for sharks at many of its beaches, including Coogee, to keep swimmers safe after several shark attacks. The New South Wales government has invested $34 million to monitor 70 beaches with drones from early morning to evening all year round.Key Facts
- Drones now watch 38 Sydney ocean beaches all day, every day, and 70 beaches have expanded surveillance.
- Drone use at Coogee beach was only recently allowed due to its location under a busy flight path.
- The program started on July 1 and monitoring hours will increase as daylight gets longer.
- Drones fly about 60 meters high and scan the water in sections looking for sharks or unusual movement.
- Since July 1, there have been over 750 shark sightings and more than 200 safety actions by Surf Life Saving NSW.
- Shark listening stations track thousands of white, tiger, and bull sharks, which are the species most linked to attacks.
- Experts say drones are currently the best tool for spotting sharks but have limits in bad weather or with small sharks.
- The program aims to help swimmers feel safer and avoid shark attacks after a series of recent incidents, including a serious attack at Coogee.
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