
A life-saver for beachgoers: preventing shark attacks with autonomous warning systems
Australia is famous for its beautiful and sunny beaches, but also for its shark attacks. That’s why it’s vital to have an autonomous warning system in place when a shark enters the water to prevent unprovoked attacks and keep beaches safe.
In 2020, Australia was the deadliest place for shark attacks, with more fatalities as a result of human encounters with sharks than any other country. In total there were 22 unprovoked shark attacks in Australia, with seven fatalities, accounting for over 50 per cent of the world’s total shark attack fatalities.
With over 26,000km of coastline and a thriving beach-going culture, unprovoked shark attacks are a consistent concern for beachgoers.
However, shark attacks can be reduced with a proper warning system in place to make sure swimmers, surfers and divers are out of the water when these creatures of the deep come visiting.
With proven solutions, Spectur offers remote warning systems designed in Australia to protect beachgoers from shark attacks. As Australia’s population increases, human encounters with sharks will only become more common in the future, so having a warning system in place that can be triggered by a variety of share detection technology and automatically respond will be a life-saver.
Automatic warning system
Spectur’s Shark Warning System can work immediately and remotely because it’s cloud-based and integrated with speakers and lights to provide an instantaneous response.
Spectur cloud connection enables triggers from lifesavers, rangers, third party smart drumlines, tagged sharks, drone observations and many other inputs to be integrated and communicated to the Spectur hardware platforms to act when a threat is detected.
For people on the beach or in the water, the system can alert them of a shark sighting with 50w LED red flashing lights and a pre-recorded spoken message to warn them to evacuate the waters.
In fact, the system is powerful enough to broadcast at high volumes and warn people up to 400m away, giving anyone far from shore plenty of time to swim back to safety.
These hardware platforms also include cameras that can provide onsite visual confirmation of beach conditions and users in real time. This allows lifesavers, rangers and other relevant parties to monitor both the water and people on the beach remotely. This can ensure surfers in the early morning or swimmers late at night can also be protected, even when lifeguards aren’t around.
Optional additions to the Spectur Shark Warning system include two-way phone connections, enabled to allow beach users to contact first responders in emergencies, and digital signboards, useful for providing fully flexible messaging to beach users at all hours of the day.
Whilst these systems have initially been used for shark warnings, increasingly they are also being used for other warning applications (rips, jellyfish, crocodile, tsunami) and other AI enabled applications, such as determining beach usage and social distancing behaviours. With the flexible Spectur system that can sense, think and act, the options for additional applications are endless.
Easy and reliable solution
As a remote and powerful solution, the Spectur Shark Warning System is ideal for beaches that are isolated or located where reception is limited.
Each camera station is stand-alone and solar-powered, with an in-built 3G/4G modem to connect it to the cloud, meaning there is no need for a wired electricity or internet connection.
This wireless system is suited for remote locations, particularly beaches where physical structures connected to the electricity grid are scarce, distant or there is no reliable mobile coverage nearby. Where connectivity is limited, amplified antennae can be added to the system, ensuring a reliable connection.
Additionally, being wireless makes it easy to install, since there are no cables or trenches required, which makes for a low-intrusion option for local governments. Particularly for beaches with environmental concerns, having a solution that can function effectively without damaging the surrounding area can ensure the longevity of Australia’s world-famous beaches.
Protecting Australian beaches
As an Australian company, Spectur systems are all designed, manufactured and tested in Australia to ensure they suit this country’s unique weather conditions. With over 2,500 systems already installed across Australia, Spectur systems are proven solutions for local, state and Federal governments as well as related entities.
A number of Australian local and state governments have deployed Spectur Shark Warning Systems or Emergency Response Beacons at their beaches, including the City of Busselton, City of Lake Macquarie, WA Department of Fisheries, NSW Department of Local Government, the Town of Cottesloe, the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, the Shire of Esperance and more.
Most of the Australian coastline is unprotected by lifeguards or rangers because they are far from urban or rural centres, despite still being used by surfers and swimmers.
Along unprotected beaches, it’s important for local governments to have an option when deploying human personnel isn’t possible.
When it comes to shark attacks, local governments must do everything they can to prevent humans from coming into contact with sharks. Having an early warning system in place can prevent serious injury and unnecessary deaths.
Active eyes on the water
Even though lifeguards can monitor coastal waters for shark activity and evacuate people if needed, when there’s no one else around, there’s little that can be done to warn or rescue someone if a shark is present or attacks.
That’s why having an autonomous warning system can provide reassurance for the public by keeping people protected at any time and place.
With eyes on the water at all times, Spectur’s advanced platforms can warn of sharks and other hazards and immediately act to alert people on the beach about the danger, without a first responder having to be present.
Using Spectur’s cameras, local governments, lifeguards and other personnel have the tools to warn the community and ensure Australia’s beaches are known for their glittering sands and great waves, instead of deadly shark attacks.
For more information on reducing shark attacks and using Spectur’s smart solutions to enhance community safety, download our whitepaper Sense, think, act: how smart technology is making communities safer hereor call 1300 802 960 and talk to our team about finding the right solution for your unique onsite challenges.