Sunshine Coast surfers are set to get shark alerts on their wrists as a popular app expands its sighting network to recreational drone operators.
Founded in 2015 by former professional surfer Sarah Beardmore, the Dorsal app has grown to 750,000 users and was the second most downloaded free sports app in Australia last summer, behind only the Australian Open.
The free app allows users to report shark sightings from any beach, whether it is patrolled or not, with the option to include photos or video.
Ms Beardmore said community reporting was particularly important at popular surf spots such as Moffat Beach and Point Cartwright, where there isn’t dedicated shark drone surveillance.
“If a swimmer, walker, surfer, fisher, boatie or drone operator sees something, they can report it through Dorsal and that information can reach people right along the coast, rather than staying with the handful of people who happened to see it,” she said.
Ms Beardmore said her goal had always been to deliver trusted shark sighting information to people as close to real time as possible.
“The obvious next step for us is taking those alerts into the water through smart watches,” she said.
“If I’m out surfing and my phone is sitting on the beach, an alert on my phone isn’t much use to me until I come back in.
“Being able to receive that information on your wrist while you’re still in the water closes that gap and lets you make your own decision in the moment.”
Ms Beardmore said they’ve seen an increase in sightings coming from recreational drone operators.
“But one of the challenges they’ve raised with us is the friction involved in flying a drone and then having to separately create a report through the Dorsal app,” she said.
“Allowing them to report directly from the drone will make that process much easier.
“They’ll be able to capture an image and send the sighting directly into Dorsal, which gives us valuable information for verification while also helping us get that report out to the community as quickly as possible.
“It’s also important that recreational drone operators familiarise themselves with CASA rules and make sure they’re flying within the regulations, as ultimately, that responsibility sits with each individual operator.”
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Ms Beardmore said there have been around 50 shark reports on the Sunshine Coast over the past 12 months.
“We see reports coming through from places like Noosa, Point Cartwright, Alexandra Headland, Sunshine Beach, Coolum and Kings Beach as examples of beaches with multiple reports,” she said.
“It’s usually bull sharks that are being spotted and reported.
“One report that really stands out, although it was a few years ago, was a very large white shark videoed at the Noosa River mouth.
“That was a particularly unusual sighting and certainly not something we see regularly.”
Ms Beardmore said most of the people reporting to Dorsal on the Sunshine Coast were surfers, which reflected how Dorsal started.
“As surfers, if we see something in the water, we tell each other, whether that’s out in the surf or back in the car park,” she said.
“Dorsal just allows us to do the same thing on a much bigger scale. And really, the more people using Dorsal, the more reports we receive and the more useful that information becomes for everyone.
“So, we’d encourage people on the Sunshine Coast to download the app – it’s free and if you see a shark, report it.
“The more we share what we’re seeing, the more information we all have to make our own informed decisions in the water this summer.”
SmartShark drones were introduced at Kings and Happy Valley beaches in December 2025, providing aerial monitoring during weekends, public holidays and school holidays, weather permitting.
The drones are part of the Queensland Government’s investment in swimmer safety and monitor beaches for sharks while also collecting data on their movements and behaviour.
Following trials, drones will also be permanently based at Alexandra Headland, Coolum North and Noosa Heads beaches.
