Drones spot hundreds of sharks near NSW beaches
Drones have captured vision of hundreds of sharks close to NSW beaches during the first summer that they've patrolled the NSW coast.
The extra eyes in the sky have captured extraordinary images of the predators just metres from the shore.
From the sky, a close encounter in the water with a shark and a surfer was captured at Ballina, on the NSW north coast.
It was one of the beaches covered for the first time by drone patrols during the summer holidays detecting these dangers.
Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said the drones’ jobs were to identify sharks in the area to feed information back to lifeguards and other authorities.
Operating on the north coast, at Redhead near Newcastle and at Kiama, the drone patrols spotted 46 sharks.
Twenty six were considered potentially dangerous, triggering eight evacuations.
Half of the sightings were recorded at just one beach, Redhead.
Expanded helicopter patrols covered the state’s entire east coast, flying 93,000 kilometres.
They spotted 525 sharks, triggering eight evacuations.
The state government says there were no reported attacks during the holidays.
The surveillance also spotted plenty of other marine life, like dolphins and rays off our beaches.
Along with nets and shark tagging, authorities will now assess just how effective these patrols have been.
And while north coast beaches will again have aerial surveillance for the Easter holidays, Sydney beaches will have to wait until next summer.
Today's top news stories - March 9
