Why do helicopters patrol the beach?

Contracted helicopters with trained observers on board search the water for sharks within 500 metres of a beach. All sharks seen are recorded via a purpose-built app. Target shark sightings are reported live to the SharkSmart app and Twitter channel to warn beachgoers and beach authorities.



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If the shark is close to people, a siren is activated on the helicopter and a PA used to communicate the sighting. Beach authorities are notified and they assess whether the beach should be closed and for how long.

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An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

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