We all know about sharks, some of the most impressive and dangerous sea creatures out there. However, you may not know that many different species of sharks are regularly tracked.
This is done for a number of reasons, like preventing dangerous encounters or learning about their migration paths. To track sharks, there is a wide variety of different pieces of software available, each with their benefits.
In the informative guide below, you’ll find out about some of the best software for tracking sharks, as well how it is done.
How Are Sharks Tracked?
Before we get to the software that is used to track sharks, it is worth looking at how they are tracked in the first place.
It’s all done with a “Temperature Transmitting Tag”, also known as a “Smart Position Tag”, which is placed onto a shark.
Whenever that shark then comes above the water surface for over a minute and a half, the trackers are able to know where the exact location of the sea creature is.
To attach the tags, given the acronym of SPOT tags, they are placed onto the shark’s dorsal fin, which is one of the fins on top of the shark’s body.
Once that’s placed, the tracker will be able to track the shark’s movements due to a signal that the tag sends to satellites, allowing geographical data to be shared.
A Guide To Shark Tracking Softwares
Dorsal
Named after the shark fins that the tracker tags are placed onto, this piece of software is one of the most impressive and developed available.
Despite its quality, Dorsal is actually free, allowing anybody to use it for tracking their shark tags. With that being said, users can upgrade to a paid “Premium” version, which comes with exclusive features.
With at least a quarter of a million people using the app, whether for free or for money, it is certainly popular – which speaks to its quality at shark tracking.
Although it is free, the app is currently only live in the mainland of the USA, Australia, Hawaii, and Réunion Island. You can easily select between them.
The best feature that Dorsal offers is its community aspect. With the app, people can submit shark reports for when and where they have seen a shark, and this can help others be in the know – and stay safe.
Shared information is a great way to keep track of dangerous sharks. Local authorities, as well as people at the beach, can share news of sightings and attacks in order to keep everyone safe.
Ocearch
This software is made by Ocearch, who focus on tracking information about great white sharks, as well as other predators.
Their tracker is simple to navigate and understand, making it available to anyone without the need for too much knowledge about the sea creatures.
The Ocearch organization certainly has results, because they found a famous 16 foot long white shark.
However, you can get a lot more than shark tracking from their software, which also allows you to keep an eye on turtles and alligators.
SharkSmart AU
This software was made to keep Australian beachgoers safe, by allowing them to track local sharks. With the app, you can find out about shark sightings or specific detections of tagged sharks.
Atlantic White Shark Conservancy
The app that the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy was developed with the help of many top bodies and town officials, meaning that it is certainly built on helpful and reliable information with the help of those most involved in the cause.
The software is deliberately geared towards the sightings of white sharks, allowing users to see where tagged white sharks have been and keep safe from their threat.
The app uses yellow icons to indicate a tagged shark position that is being updated in real time, while an orange icon is used for data that is not being sent in real time.
Guy Harvey Research Shark Tracking
This piece of tracking software allows you to keep track of lots of different types of sharks, rather than just one specific variety.
For example, you can see where a tagged Mako shark is, or a sand tiger shark. On top of those, it covers: great white sharks, oceanic white tips, whale sharks, smooth hammerheads, and more.
With the tracking software, scientists and users can get a better idea of how all these types live and move, and how they differ from one another in those aspects.
Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System
This software doesn’t offer a range like the previous did, instead focusing on tiger sharks that are in the Hawaii area.
If you’re in that area, it will be useful, though the insight it provides can also be interesting to people outside of it.
By observing the movements of these, researchers can get insight into how they behave, as well as how they select their habitats to live in.
However, it also offers information on the ocean, such as its oxygen profiles and varying temperatures.
Final Thoughts
Shark tracking helps us stay safe from sharks, and you can use a variety of different software to do so.
If you’ve never dived with sharks before, then we urge you to try it. My name is Mikayla Adams and I have swum with sharks six times so far.
The beauty of sharks up close and personal is too precious to put into words - there’s nothing like it that I’ve ever experienced. Not only that, but to be in close proximity to one of the ocean’s most ferocious predators is such a thrill!
