There’s a certain peace of mind that comes with swimming at a Cape Town beach where the Shark Spotters team keeps watch, and this season they’ve really stepped things up to provide the best service possible.

New measures were announced back in October (HERE), which included an increase in the number of Spotters at certain beaches.

Now the team have another tool at their disposal, and this could be something of a game-changer:

As they release DJI Phantom 4 Drones and Mavic in South Africa, Cape Town’s popular tech entrepreneurs, weFix, has announced a partnership that will see weFix donate these sought-after devices to the non-profit organisation Shark Spotters for increased and targeted surveillance off two of the City’s beaches, most vulnerable to shark interaction.

For the upcoming summer, the Shark Spotters teams at Muizenberg and Fish Hoek beaches will have the advantage of going way beyond the limited views afforded to them simply by binoculars and high-lying vantage points. weFix’s donation includes not just the exciting drones, but also the local and accredited training in operating drones, as well as licencing, insurance and maintenance premiums.

Pretty epic, right – drones on shark patrol.

“The drones are aimed at being a supporting mechanism for the dedicated Shark Spotters,” explains weFix CEO, Alex Fourie, “They do not replace any of the current processes and routines…Instead, the drones offer the extraordinary advantage of being able to remotely investigate reports of shark sightings at sea, and more accurately identify causes of alarm and track the intensity. ”

In the near future, the drones will be deployed to get closer looks after a mountain-based spotter or a resident calls in a shark sighting.  “This is a fantastic enhancement of our programme, says Sarah Waries, Project Manager of Shark Spotters, “What we expect is that the drones will ultimately improve the accuracy of our current shark flag system and of course, enhance safety when it comes to swimming and other popular water sports.”

Currently, Muizenberg and Fish Hoek beaches each have mountain-based shark spotters who, to date have only used binoculars and polarised sunglasses to look out for sharks close to shore. The drones will now give them additional range up and down the beach, and out to sea. The drone can stay in flight for up to 30 minutes before needing a battery change.

You might be getting a tad tired of seeing a drone zooming around every time you head to the beach, but this time around there’s no denying that they’re providing a service for the greater good.

A big pat on the back to the weFix team – and if it’s drones you’re after then check out their massive range HERE.

[images:sharkspotters]