Australian sharks take to Twitter to warn surfers and swimmers of their presence

Australian scientists have outfitted almost 400 sharks with transmitters that send automatic warnings, via Twitter, to Surf Life Saving Western Australia’s (SLSWA) Twitter feed.

For example, this morning, when a shark ventured into the waters between Floreat and City Beach in the western Australian city of Perth, subscribers to SLSWA’s Twitter feed received the following the message:

Fisheries advise 2m shark, u/k species, sighted between Floreat & City Beach approx 30m offshore @ 12.20. Floreat & City Beach are closed.

— Surf Life Saving WA (@SLSWA) December 28, 2013

The tweet provides the size and breed of the shark, if known, and its approximate location. It is hoped that the feed, which has over 15,000 subscribers, will help swimmers and surfers make more informed decisions about when to venture into the waters.