Shark Spotters

23/10/2026

The relationships we build with other organisations, partners and institutes matter to us deeply. One of these is our relationship with the Wildlife Forensic Academy (WFA).

Through WFA, we have connected with students from around the globe through our educational talks. In September and October this year, students joined us for hour-long talks about sharks, our safety programmes, the research methods we employ and our beautiful False Bay!

We look forward to meeting future Wildlife Forensic Academy cohorts and sharing more about our work and the beautiful False Bay!

22/10/2026

’s Blue shark (Prionace glauca)

The Blue shark - to no one’s surprise - gets its name from the deep, rich blue colour of its skin, which contrasts with its stark white belly.

If we were prey, we could understand why spotting a blue shark in the vast blue, brightly lit ocean, could be challenging. They blend in easily thanks to a feature known as countershading making them harder to spot from above and below.

The blue shark can be found cruising in the temperate and tropical open oceans and is one of the most widely distributed shark species in the world.

These sharks can grow up to 3 metres long. Their feeding habits and extensive movement through the open ocean can also bring them into contact with fishing operations, making them vulnerable to bycatch.

What cool fact do you know about blue sharks ?

Image by Mark Conlin| Natural Museum of History, University of Florida

21/10/2026

ARTICLE ALERT: Where have the great white sharks gone?

A question we often ask ourselves. Our Research Director, Toby Rogers (PhD), answer’s that curious question in this recent interview.

“Everyone sees great white sharks as top of the food chain…,” says Rogers. “... we’ve been humbled.”

Thirteen years later, with a strong network of local collaborators, he’s still tracking great white sharks along our coastline, determined to answer the many burning questions we all have.

Read more about the work that led him here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/alumni-magazine/2026/in-depth-interviews/life-of-a-shark-spotter/

15/10/2026

12/10/2026

’s Common Thresher shark 🦈

The Common Thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) is found worldwide in shallow cold temperate seas.

An obvious distinguishing feature is their caudal fin. It is half the length of their body, helps them to herd prey into tightly packed bait balls and stun prey with their whip-like tail! So cool!

Common thresher sharks are predominantly solitary animals. They often migrate depending on the season, either north or south through the open ocean and are considered to be free-ranging predators. Due to their migratory habits that take them through tropical and cold- temperate seas, they have been spotted off the coast of False Bay! Quite the traveller!

Have you ever seen one in False Bay? And can you guess what these solitary sharks’ prey on?

Answer in the comments!

09/10/2026

’s bronze whaler shark 🦈

The bronze whaler shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus) is a familiar seasonal visitor to False Bay, with its presence along our shores increasing during the warmer months.

But further along our coastline, there’s another seasonal movement worth mentioning. During winter, bronzies can be seen following the sardine run along our east coast, where large shoals of sardines attract a variety of marine predators.

And while sardines are on the menu, they aren’t the only prey these sharks feed on. Bronzies also eat other bony fish, sharks and rays, as well as squid and octopus. Quite the palate!

Did you know? South Africa’s South Coast is thought to be an important nursery area for bronze whaler sharks. Now you know! 🦈

(C) Alessandro De Maddalena

07/10/2026

PRESS RELEASE | PLETT SHARK SPOTTERS BACK ON DUTY!

We are excited to share the news that Plett Shark Spotters’ shark spotting operations are officially back, following receipt of the signed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Bitou Municipality on 5 October 2026.

The new agreement formalises the continued partnership between Plett Shark Spotters and Bitou Municipality and allows the programme to move forward with daily shark safety operations in Plett from October.

Every contribution, whether through sponsorship, donations, partnerships or fundraising initiatives, has helped keep our spotters on Plett’s beaches, and we extend our gratitude to everyone whose involvement made this possible.

Read the full press release here:https://sharkspotters.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Plett-Press-Release_Programme-Operations_Oct-2026.pdf

07/10/2026

’s smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena) 🦈

These sharks are found worldwide in temperate seas and prefer shallow waters. Though they can be a little ‘adventurous’ and have been recorded venturing into warmer tropical waters, as well as estuaries and even freshwater.

Smooth hammerheads are often solitary or occur in small groups as adults, while juveniles can form large aggregations at certain times of the year.

Have you ever seen one in False Bay? And can you guess what adults' prey on?

Answer in the comments!