I'm a professional shark spotter. It took time to get confident at it – this is what I've learned.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Naveron Lesch, a 35-year-old professional shark spotter in Cape Town, South Africa. It has been edited for length and clarity.
The shark spotters operate on four beaches in Cape Town all through the year, and then we have another two beaches that we monitor on weekends, public holidays, and school holidays. There are 30 of us, all from the local communities, working in shifts every day of the year. In summer, we work 35 to 40 hours a week in six-hour shifts. In winter, when the daylight is shorter, we do five-hour shifts.
It doesn't mean we can't see sharks — most of our sightings happen while a black flag is up — but it means it's not perfect for spotting. A green flag means the visibility is good and the water surface is clear.
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