Drones being used to spot sharks on South African beaches
Drones are being used to spot sharks over the Christmas period in Cape Town, South Africa, to keep its two busiest beaches safe. A live feed will be shown to those looking out for sharks, keeping swimmers alert to any danger. Though there are shark nets and a reporting system, the drones will be able to identify false alarms and any sharks that get past the barricades. The drones are being provided by WeFix, and operated by trained drone operators.

CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town is looking to the skies to spot sharks this festive season in an effort to make its two busiest beaches that much safer.

Authorities will fly hi-tech drones to spot sharks at the most popular beaches, Fish Hoek and Muizenberg.

A live feed of the visuals will be shared with shark-spotters, who can warn swimmers about possible sightings.

The drones will help spotters react faster to imminent danger, while reducing the number of false reports.

While there are shark nets in place, the drone visuals will be fed live via an iPad to shark spotters on the beach.

There are plans to expand the project to other beaches in the city.

Alex Fourie from tech company WeFix said: “The guys were already doing a great job but now when they see something in the water they can send a drone out to see what it is. Is it seaweed, is it a shark or a dolphin?By doing that the amount of false shark sightings are minimised.”

Seferino Gelderblom is a spotter who is training to become a licensed drone operator.

“From my point of view it definitely makes the job easier, it helps the shark researches in South Africa to identify what type of shark species we see," he said.