And shark puns. I could’ve filled that headline with jokes about hashtags and shark mayors of your beaches, but I held back. I stopped myself from going over that cliff into the frothy waters below. And we’re better for it, much like we’re better for sharks in Western Australia having tags that tweet messages to beach goers when they are near. This makes it a lot easier for surfers to get the f*ck out of dodge or find the perfect shark to be their one and only. From NPR:
Government researchers have tagged 338 sharks with acoustic transmitters that monitor where the animals are. When a tagged shark is about half a mile away from a beach, it triggers a computer alert, which tweets out a message on the Surf Life Saving Western Australia Twitter feed . The tweet notes the shark’s size, breed and approximate location.
Since 2011, Australia has had more fatal shark attacks than any other country ; there have been six over the past two years — the most recent in November .
The tagging system alerts beachgoers far quicker than traditional warnings, says Chris Peck, operations manager of Surf Life Saving Western Australia. “Now it’s instant information,” he tells Sky News , “and really people don’t have an excuse to say we’re not getting the information. It’s about whether you are searching for it and finding it.”
I do believe we love sharks quite a bit around this site, from Sharknado to Shark Week. We always seem to have it covered in one way or the other. So it’s no surprise that this would make an appearance.
The shark warning system is a great step forward in keeping people safe, but I have to wonder how the shark feels about being misrepresented on Twitter. Do they even know their personal information is being broadcast to millions without their permission and that Australia is basically spying on them? And for what? So some surfers can keep their limbs intact?
You call Edward Snowden a hero. I don’t see him raising a peep about this. I don’t see anyone saying a damn word! These are disgusting and vile acts against sharks and I won’t stand for it. Ron Burgundy didn’t have much right in Anchorman 2, but he had sharks on the nose.
(Lead image via gettyimages)