After Great White Shark attack, Australia's most populated state doubles down on drone shark patrols
Following a near-fatal shark attack in June, the New South Wales government announced a major expansion of its long-running Shark Management Program.
Woman in critical condition after shark attack in Australia
A woman was left in critical condition after she was bitten by a shark at Sydney's Coogee Beach on Saturday. Local authorities said the woman was attacked while swimming close to the shore, within the flagged area — an indication that an area is safe to swim in.
NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – After a schoolteacher and mother of a 1-year-old was mauled by a great white shark in June, Australia's most populous state expanded its established shark mitigation program, committing more than A$120 million over the next two years to enhance shark detection and beach safety, including around-the-clock drone surveillance at more than 70 beaches.
Starting July 1, the New South Wales Shark Management Program launched year-round drone surveillance at 38 beaches across Sydney to detect sharks and help keep swimmers safe as four fatal shark attacks have already been recorded in Australia this year.
A beach closed sign is displayed at Coogee Beach in Sydney on June 13, 2026. Beachgoers dragged a badly injured swimmer from the water at Coogee, one of Australia's most beloved beaches and popular spot for tourists, after she was mauled by a shark on June 13, police said. Four people have been killed in an unusual spate of shark attacks around Australia this year. (OLIVER HOTHAM / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Just weeks earlier, on June 13, Leah Stewart was attacked by a great white shark estimated to be between 9 and 13 feet long while swimming between the flags at a patrolled beach. Following the attack, the New South Wales government announced an additional A$34 million investment to expand drone surveillance, bringing year-round coverage to 72 beaches, including at least one beach in every coastal local government area.
This additional monitoring will prioritize beaches with high numbers of swimmers, surfers and paddlers, including in the capital city of Sydney and the North Coast, where shark interactions have become more frequent.
RARE GREAT WHITE SHARK CAUGHT ON CAMERA IN THIS STATE'S WATERS FOR FIRST TIME
A great white shark patrols the waters near Dangerous Reef off Neptune Island in South Australia, one of the world's premier habitats for the apex predator. (Photo by Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"We know people love getting out to our beaches, and they should feel confident doing it. While no one can ever promise no shark interactions, this investment is about putting more eyes in the sky so we can spot sharks earlier and give people a clear heads-up when they’re in the water," Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said in a press release.
"More drones in the air means we’re getting a better picture of what’s happening offshore, and it means we’ll get better at seeing them. We’re backing practical technology that helps keep families, surfers and swimmers safer right across the coast."
MULTIPLE SHARK SIGHTINGS AT NEW YORK CITY'S ROCKAWAY BEACH
From Tweed Heads to the Bega Valley, the New South Wales Shark Management Program works to reduce the risk of shark interactions through drone surveillance, seasonal shark nets and shark tagging to monitor the movements of potentially dangerous species. (New South Wales Government)
PATROLLING FROM THE AIR
The aerial surveillance program is operated by Surf Life Saving NSW, a coastal rescue organization that trains drone pilots to patrol popular beaches from above in search of sharks.
Flying real-time patrols over the surf, operators scan coastal waters for potentially dangerous marine life like the massive shark that attacked Stewart in June. When a shark is detected, lifeguards can immediately warn swimmers, clear the water if necessary and report the sighting through the NSW SharkSmart alert system.
Surf Lifesaver Oliver Heys advises fellow lifesaver and sister Eliza as they fly a drone on Dee Why Beach in Sydney on October 1, 2025. (DAVID GRAY / AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
The new funding will allow Surf Life Saving NSW to expand its drone program and explore emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance shark monitoring across the state.
In a recent press release, Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce said, "The Shark UAV surveillance program has proven to be an extremely effective component of the NSW Shark Management Program. Just this year, we conducted more than 100,000 flights and identified and prevented over 2000 sharks interacting with swimmers and surfers."
DANGEROUS WATERS
The New South Wales Shark Management program is the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the world, and for good reason.
Three of the world's most feared sharks patrol the waters off New South Wales, accounting for nearly all serious shark bites in the state: great white, bull and tiger sharks.
Great whites are one of just three species—along with bull and tiger sharks—responsible for nearly all shark bites in NSW coastal waters. (Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
The ocean's undisputable apex predator, great white sharks, are found along much of Australia's coastline but are most common in southern waters, including New South Wales, where they frequent nearshore temperate waters.
Bull sharks are common along the NSW coast and are unique for their ability to travel far into freshwater rivers and estuaries.
Tiger sharks inhabit warm tropical and subtropical waters and range from northern Australia as far south as southern New South Wales, where they are found in both coastal and offshore waters.
KEEPING TRACK OF THE PREDATOR
Spotting sharks from above is only part of the strategy. New South Wales also operates one of the world's largest shark tagging programs.
The shark tagging initiative is led by scientists with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, who work with contracted response crews to tag, track and study great white, bull and tiger sharks.
Charlie Kerr retrieves a SMART drumline off Coffs Harbour, New South Wales in 2025. Sharks caught on the baited lines are tagged and released, helping power one of the world's largest shark tracking and public alert systems. (Saeed KHAN / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Sharks are fitted with acoustic tags that emit a unique signal. When a tagged great white, bull or tiger shark swims within range of an underwater listening station, the detection is shared through the SharkSmart system, giving lifeguards and beachgoers real-time alerts that a shark has been nearby.
A HISTORY OF SHARK SCARES
While drones represent the latest evolution in shark detection, New South Wales has been taking measures to reduce the risk of shark attacks for nearly 90 years.
In 1937, the NSW Government introduced shark nets at popular Sydney beaches after a series of fatal shark attacks, in an attempt to reduce the chance of interactions.
People swimming in Nielson Park beach were the shark net is under repair. January 4, 1985. (Susan Debra Windmiller/Fairfax Media via Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, there have been at least 198 unprovoked shark-human interactions that have been recorded in New South Wales since 1900.
Since shark nets were introduced, the average number of shark bites at netted beaches fell from 1.4 bites per year to about 0.25 bites per year, although the rate has increased to 1.2 bites per year since 2017.
A warning sign reads "Swimming within enclosure only, area outside enclosure closed" is put on Shark Beach along with shark nets on January 21, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. Several northern beaches were closed to the public following multiple shark attacks along Sydney's coastline in recent days. (George Chan/Getty Images)
Shark nets are designed to reduce risk, not eliminate it. According to the Australian Shark Incident Database, 35 unprovoked shark interactions have occurred at netted beaches in New South Wales, including 17 involving great white sharks.
Since the Shark Meshing Program began, there have been 42 attacks in the Sydney region, but none of the nine fatalities occurred at ocean beaches protected by shark nets.
Sharks have inhabited Australia's coastal waters for millions of years, and no amount of technology can eliminate the risk they pose. But after four fatal shark attacks in 2026, New South Wales is counting on drones in the sky, tagged sharks beneath the waves and decades of scientific research to make its beaches safer.
"Even with the greatest technology and expanded presence of drones, we cannot prevent all shark interactions," Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce said. "However, this funding will allow the development of a safety program that will give the greatest opportunity to prevent these from occurring."