SYDNEY, Sept 7 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- A popular southern Sydney beach was on Monday morning evacuated after a shark was spotted by a drone operator, reported Xinhua.
Cronulla Beach in southern Sydney was closed shortly before 9 am local time on Monday when a drone operator from the Surf Life Saving service spotted a shark nearby.
According to shark sighting service Dorsal Watch, the species and size of the shark were not identified. The state government of New South Wales in June announced it would spend A$34 million (US$24.5 million) on shark-spotting drones to monitor around 70 beaches across the state year-round as part of a wider A$120 million (US$86.5 million) investment in the shark management programme.
Under the same programme, two shark listening stations were installed in August for the first time in Sydney Harbour to provide real-time alerts when tagged sharks are nearby.
The government said late in August that the expanded drone surveillance had recorded 750 shark sightings since the start of July.
-- BERNAMA-XINHUA