“Although shark attacks are rare in Australia, Sydney is on high alert after a period of increased activity. Last month, a suspected great white shark mauled a schoolteacher at the popular Coogee Beach, a few miles from Bondi. Then, there were back-to-back shark sightings along the coast, prompting the authorities to close Sydney’s beaches for several days.

In a bid to keep oceangoers safe, officials in New South Wales, where Sydney is, increased funding for the state’s aerial shark surveillance last month. The drone program, which is managed by Surf Life Saving New South Wales, will now run year-round at about 70 beaches. Previously, the program ran during the summer months and school vacation periods…

Once drone pilots spot a potentially dangerous shark, they will alert lifeguards, who can sound the shark siren and clear the water. In the first week of July, at the start of the expanded program, several beaches were closed after sharks were spotted.

James Bassam, chief remote pilot for Surf Life Saving New South Wales, said the service completed 100,000 drone flights in the past fiscal year and spotted 2,300 sharks. This year, they project 500,000 flights.”

From New York Times.