Shark Spotters operates on 6 beaches around Cape Town, primarily in False Bay.
Four of these beaches operate year round, 365 days a year (Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek & Caves, Kogel Bay), while the other two only operate during the spring summer season (Clovelly & Monwabisi).
These beaches have been strategically selected as those having the highest spatial overlap between people and sharks, i.e. popular bathing/surfing beaches with high numbers of shark sightings.
In order to be effective, spotters need to be positioned at an elevation high enough to be able to detect sharks before they approach a bathing/surfing area. Therefore the majority of our spotting sites are at an elevation of between 50 m and 110 m above sea level. In Cape Town, the natural elevation of the mountains right next to the sea are perfect for spotting sharks in most areas. However, in some areas, such as the North shore of False Bay, spotting is not possible as there is no natural elevation and the lifesaving towers are not high enough to be able to detect sharks effectively.
