Coastal safety has received a digital upgrade in South Australia, with state authorities launching an updated real-time online shark sighting service designed to keep beachgoers, fishers and water sports enthusiasts informed of potential risks before they enter the ocean.
Managed by the state’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), the revamped platform empowers members of the public to submit firsthand shark sighting reports that are published instantly for the community to access. To maintain data accuracy, PIRSA staff conduct post-submission reviews to filter out duplicate entries and false reports, ensuring the information available to users remains reliable.
In a public statement announcing the update, PIRSA emphasized that the platform’s core improvement is its accessibility: it now makes it far simpler for anyone spending time on or near the coast to stay updated on recent shark activity in their local area. The agency encouraged community participation, noting that prompt reporting from members of the public helps keep all coastal visitors safe. To make reporting even more convenient, QR code stickers linking directly to the reporting page have been placed at dozens of high-traffic coastal locations and selected local tackle shops.
Since the upgraded service went live, multiple confirmed and unconfirmed sightings have already been submitted by both community members and South Australia Police. The most recent entry, filed at 12:30 p.m. on April 10, documented an unidentified shark spotted off the coast of Aldinga by a law enforcement officer. Earlier sightings include a suspected thresher shark seen at Port Moorowie on April 7, and a potential great white shark spotted near Robe on South Australia’s Limestone Coast on April 5.
The launch of this new public safety tool comes just days after a high-profile shark incident that highlighted the need for better real-time information sharing. Over the Easter weekend, 16-year-old surfer Oliver Tokic-Bensley was bitten by a shark at Middleton Beach. Speaking to Australian Broadcasting Corporation News after the attack, Tokic-Bensley said he considered himself extraordinarily fortunate to avoid catastrophic injury. “I felt something sharp, I sort of jumped when it got me and then I kicked my foot away and luckily it didn’t hold onto me,” he recalled, noting he escaped without losing his foot.