For most people, the idea is to get away from a great white shark as quickly as possible. In Australia, however, there are professionals who do exactly the opposite: they run towards the predator to install a tracking device on its dorsal fin.
The activity is part of a complex protection network that allows swimmers, surfers and fishermen to check, in real time, the presence of these marine hunters before entering the sea. The system combines shark tagging, listening stations, drones and mobile technology.
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Every day, teams launch 305 satellite-connected buoys into strategic areas off the coast of New South Wales, up to 15 meters deep. This equipment, equipped with sensors, sends an alert when it is hit by a shark, immediately activating intervention teams.
“It’s the trickiest part of the job, although it’s not the ‘rodeo’ that many imagine,” says Paul Butcher, principal investigator of the state’s shark tagging and tracking program. “Sharks are generally quite calm. The process has minimal impact on the animals,” he told AFP.
After the alert, a boat arrives on site within 16 minutes. If the animal is one of the three species considered the most dangerous – great white shark, bull shark or tiger shark – the team begins the procedure. Two ropes are carefully positioned, one near the tail and the other in front of the pectoral fin, to stabilize the animal’s body.
When the shark approaches the side of the ship, professionals gently turn it onto its back, ensuring that seawater continues to pass over its gills. In this position, the animal enters a trance-like state, which reduces the risks for both the team and the shark.
In about 15 minutes, researchers measure the animal’s length, take tissue samples and install an acoustic marker on the dorsal fin. The shark is then released at least a kilometer offshore and disappears into the ocean.
“Some animals have their own personalities,” says Butcher. “Large sharks tend to be easy to handle around the boat. Tiger sharks aren’t as collaborative. And, interestingly, bull sharks tend to be quite docile.”
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Over the past ten years, the program has tagged 1,547 great white sharks, 756 tiger sharks and 240 bull sharks. The animals are detected when passing one of the 37 listening stations distributed along the coastline. When this happens, an alert is sent by the SharkSmart app, which notifies swimmers via cell phones and smart watches.
The technology is part of a broader security approach adopted by Australian authorities, which also includes the use of surveillance drones and protection networks.
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Since 1791, more than 1,280 incidents involving sharks have been recorded in Australia, with 260 confirmed deaths, according to a national database. Although rare, fatal attacks have increased: there were 57 deaths in the 25 years leading up to 2025, compared to 27 in the previous quarter century.
In November, a three-metre tiger shark killed a woman on a remote beach north of Sydney while she and her Swiss tourist companion were filming dolphins.
Scientists believe the increase in deaths could be linked to more people at sea and changes in sharks’ migratory patterns, influenced by warming oceans.
Butcher points out that, despite the perception of risk, sharks need protection. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 37% of the world’s shark and ray species are threatened or critically endangered.
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