In response to a series of unprovoked shark bites in South African waters a Shark Spotters Program was developed and trialed in the Cape Town region (Oelofse and Kamp 2006). The program is an early warning initiative that provides information in real time on the presence or absence of white sharks to beach goers. The information can allow beach goers to make a more informed decision regarding entering or remaining in the water, and when a dangerous species of shark is spotted a clear directive that beach goers should leave the water is provided. The guiding principles of the program are:

1. Find a balance between people’s safety & white shark conservation;
2. Reduce the spatial overlap between people & sharks; and
3. Take into account socio-economics, public safety and environment/ wildlife.

The program relies on a series of flags to communicate to beach goers the presence or absence of sharks and the reliability of spotting given the conditions at the time (Figure C1). There are four flags:
• Green flag: Spotting conditions good, no sharks seen;
• Black flag: Spotting conditions poor, no sharks seen;
• Red flag: Either a shark has been seen in the last two hours, or there is an increased risk of a shark being in the area; and
• White flag (with black shark): Shark has been spotted – siren will sound. Leave water immediately.

The programs commenced in 2004 and since that time over 1,700 shark sighting have been recorded. It is an Advisory service only. The program operates throughout the year at four beaches and seasonally at another four. Shark Spotters are positioned at strategic points along the Cape Peninsula, primarily along the False Bay coastline. Shark spotters are trained to recognize white sharks and differentiate them from other marine animals that do not pose a threat to water users. A spotter is placed on the mountain with polarized sunglasses and binoculars. This spotter is in radio contact with another spotter on the beach. If a shark is seen the beach spotter sounds a siren and raises a white flag with a black shark. When the siren sounds the water users are requested to leave the water and only return when the appropriate all clear signal is given.

Shark sightings are also provided in real time via Facebook and Twitter. The program has been successful in restoring a significant degree of public confidence, however it has not completely eliminated shark bites occurring at beaches where the program has been operating. The program is not a volunteer program with shark spotters being paid a wage.

For effective operation, vantage points with substantial elevation are required (between 50 and 110 meters). The elevation needed is well above that normally afforded by surf patrol towers. The program is obviously only effective when spotters are in place (8:00AM to 6:00PM in South Africa). While sea state and weather condition impact the likelihood of sighting a shark that is present, this limitation is in effect incorporated into the warning system by virtue of the black flag which identifies that spotting conditions are poor. A difficulty encountered by the program in South Africa is ensuring that all people clear the water when a shark is sighted. This is no different to the challenge that surf life savers have in clearing the waters at patrolled beaches in Australia.

Recent developments in the Shark Spotters program include trialing the use of fixed cameras to augment (but not replace) the human observers, and continued expansion of targeted education activities with the aim of enhancing community understanding of the ecology of sharks.