The infamous shores of Cape Town play host to a numerous array of sharks, from the famous and frightening Great White to the not-so-scary Puffadder Shy Sharks. The city of Cape Town has a policy of no-nets at the swimming beaches of the peninsula, sometimes to the concern of the bathers. The popular beach of Muizenberg, on the False Bay side of the Peninsula, was the site of an ingenious programme set up by a local team of surfers.

This programme has been immensely successful in recent years, and the shark spotters plan to increase this watch programme with more spotters on more beaches around the peninsula. A website has been set up for surfers and bathers to check on the latest updates, a phone line to get live updates on Great White activity in the area and to gain general Cape Town information on the beaches and the conditions.


Despite the fearsome image of the predator, Great Whites are more scared of humans. Additionally, more people from toaster accidents than from shark attacks every year. However, with the image of this apex predator at an all-time low, efforts to protect it have been stepped up. The shark spotters on the coast of Cape Town, South Africa have spotted over 165 sharks off the coast of Cape Town, most returning animals. Although shark nets are the most effective method of controlling shark attacks, it also comes at a high price in 2006, over 600 tiger and bull sharks were killed in these nets, above and beyond the Great Whites and dolphins trapped.


Location:

The Shark Spotters are generally disadvantaged or homeless people, given a pair of binoculars, a two-way radio, and shelter high on the cliffs above the beaches. It is then up to their keen eyes to spot the tell-tale signs of a shark and to radio in to the beach when it is spotted. A loud siren then calls the bathers in from the sea until the shark moves off. The cliffs of Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, and Fish Hoek give shelter to these shark spotters. Many a time have the glint off the binoculars on sunny days been seen by the surfers below. Although the area of False Bay is the only area in Cape Town to have these spotters, plans are in the pipeline to expand the programme to incorporate the entire peninsula and perhaps the entire coast line of South Africa, providing the funding continues.