Pittwater Life February 2023 Issue

News
Protective eyes in the skies
Remo Adoncello was enjoying a late staff employed during the 2022-23 season the NSW Department of Primary Industries
contracted AUAVS to provide shark
morning swim at Palm Beach when the by the Australian UAV Service (AUAVS).
shark alarm went off, summonsing the
New Year crowds in the water between Kiddies
Corner and the twin black rocks back
to the safety of the sand.
The alarm had been triggered by Remo’s
colleague, drone pilot Sebastian Vega
Karpov.
Sebastian had spotted a school of up to
15 Hammerhead sharks chasing a “bait
ball” – when small fish gather in an everchanging
mass for collective protection,
hoping not to be devoured when it’s their
turn on the outside.
Sebastian, a member of Mona Vale SLSC,
did exactly as he’d been trained to do.
He rushed the footage to the beach
patrol which immediately sounded the
shark alarm.
Naturally, during the “silly season”,
it made international click bait news:
“Sharks attack Home and Away beach”.
How could it not?
As the person in charge of the drone
equipment at Palm Beach, Remo was interviewed
the following day by Nine’s Today.
No cliche was spared by the TV crew.
Cue the theme from Jaws; plus narratives
including “a feeding frenzy…” and “…
every swimmer’s worst nightmare”.
Remo was a voice of reason, pointing
out Hammerhead sharks are often seen
around the Northern Beaches, including
“one (in Palm Beach) locals have labelled
Bruce”.
Strictly speaking, what Remo and Seb fly
aren’t ‘drones’; rather they are “uncrewed
aerial vehicles”, always piloted by remote
control by a fully trained human.
They’re top of the range Mavics and
Matrices, including a “voice” to warn
surveillance using drones during the summer
holiday. It launched on the Northern
Beaches in 2020.
Originally only 32 locations in NSW were
chosen.
Now, volunteer-operated drones are perusing
the waters between the flags at just
about every club on the Northern Beaches.
Stuart says: “We help out with competitor
safety at other surf sports events such
as surfing competitions and Nippers
carnivals.”
Sharks (particularly Hammerheads) are
probably the least concern.
Rips, rock fishermen on dangerous ledges,
injured surfers can also be monitored
from the air in time to launch traditional
surf life rescuers.
Yet AUAVS drone operators have also
partnered the State Emergency Service
inland during the traumatic floods across
NSW.
Stuart quotes figures that show since
the first season in 2020-1 to this (as yet
uncompleted) season, the total drone
flights increased from 12,000 to 31,000.
Meanwhile shark sights have dropped
from 250 to 149.
AUAVS is keen to encourage new drone
operators to protect our beaches.
All ages are welcome, but the national
organisation is particularly interested in
recruiting teenage girls and boys willing
to learn a new life and social skill.
KEEPING WATCH: ‘Drone’ pilot Remo Adoncello
(Presumably named after the Barry
Obviously the AUAVS operators are on
with his UAV at Palm Beach in busy January.
Humphries-voiced vegetarian Great White
duty mainly to protect humans.
in Finding Nemo – and no-one in Australia
has ever been attacked by a hammerhead.)
The interviewer asked for Remo’s views
on shark nets.
“With the technology we have now we
can do a better job monitoring from the
air,” said the member of Whale Beach and
Avalon Beach SLSCs.
Palm Beach, South Narrabeen and Dee
Why are the only three in the Northern
Beaches Council jurisdiction which had
swimmers, surfers and paddle boarders of
any dangers.
And in a few short years they have revolutionised
surf life saving.
“We currently operate at 50 NSW locations,
covering every local government
area on the coast from the Victorian border
to the Queensland border,” says Stuart
Jackson, the AUAVS supervisor responsible
for NSW and based at Belrose.
The state initiative dates to 2017 when
However, the training and time on the
job provide a unique aerial perspective
on the aquatic life most of us never see
beneath the surf.
Seals, penguins, “bait balls”. Even Bruce.
“I got lots of shots of Bruce yesterday,”
Remo says on the day our photos were
taken.
“He was going about his day doing no
harm to anyone.”
– Steve Meacham
PHOTO: Steve Meacham
28 FEBRUARY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991