Podcast
SharkSafe BarrierTM directors, Anthony Mederer and Dr. Sara Andreotti launched SHARK STORIES! A podcast series hosted on Cliff Central, also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
As forensic scientists on cold cases, this captivating podcast series delves into historic shark accident tales, re-examines the known facts, and explores why these incidents occurred. Our goal? To challenge the negative perceptions surrounding sharks and promote a better understanding of these incredible creatures.
Season 1
Episode 1 – Jersey Shore Attacks
Up until around a century ago, people didn’t know about sharks and how dangerous they could be. That all changed in July 1916.
Episode 2 – Black December
In December 1957, nine people were attacked by sharks along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The government had a unique approach to stopping the carnage… but did it work?
Episode 3 – The “Deadliest Shark Attack in History”
In 1945 – during WWII – the USS Indianapolis was sent on a top-secret mission, with over 800 soldiers on board. Only 320 survived
Episode 4 – Sole Survivor
Three people set out for a fishing expedition in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in 1983. Only one of them would return.
Episode 5 – Deep Dive
In 1972, three divers faced a harrowing experience when one of them was attacked by oceanic whitetip sharks, while diving to the depths of the Caribbean.
Episode 6 – Two Surfers
In 1994, two friends went surfing at Nahoon beach in South Africa… but there was a Great White shark there too.
Episode 7 - Enter the Sharkman
World-renowned shark conservationist Michael Rutzen was among the first divers to dive cage-free with white sharks. This week, he shares some unbelievable stories with us.
Episode 8 - Social Structure and Dynamics
We continue our chat with shark conservationist Michael Rutzen as he shares more incredible stories from his many dives with sharks over the years.
Research
RESEARCH
MISSION
Sharks are key to maintaining a balanced and healthy marine ecosystem. Unfortunately, the knowledge gap on the population status and distribution of shark species is hampering the implementation of effective conservation measures and policies.
Founded by marine conservationists and scientists, the SharkSafe Barrier™ company is true to its core value of preserving the marine environment and protecting sharks and it is fully committed to assisting and endorsing established research institutions, working to collect and publish scientific data needed to improve shark conservation globally.
OVERVIEW
RESEARCH ON THE SHARKSAFE BARRIER™
The SharkSafe Barrier™ scientific testing was developed in three phases:
01 Magnets as shark deterrents
02 Visual and magnetic barrier deterrents
03 Exclusion capability of the barrier
All the phases of this study demonstrated that the SharkSafe Barrier™ successfully manipulated the swimming patterns of all interacting sharks and were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
We deployed prototypes in South Africa and The Bahamas, attracted the sharks with chum to motivate them to go through it and observed that none of them (84 white sharks and 41 bull sharks) swam through the barrier. By installing the SharkSafe Barrier™ around a beach, beachgoers will be protected and the marine life will not be harmed.
With the exclusion tests in South Africa and The Bahamas we could prove that SharkSafe Barrier™ can effectively keep sharks away from a food source. This was the last step of the scientific tests to prove that SharkSafe Barrier™ can effectively protect a swimming area, by keeping sharks separated from people.
PUBLISHED WORK
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
The SharkSafe Barrier™ is the only eco-friendly alternative to anti-shark nets that has been scientifically tested. The different tests spanning from 2011 to 2016 have been published in the following peer reviewed articles:
Testing the exclusion capabilities and durability of the SharkSafe Barrier™ to determine its viability as an eco-friendly alternative
The use of permanent magnets to reduce elasmobranch encounter with a simulated beach net. 1. The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
The use of permanent magnets to reduce elasmobranch encounter with a simulated beach net. 2. The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Effects of the SharkSafe Barrier™ on white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) behavior and its implications for future conservation technologies
Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) exclusion properties of the SharkSafe Barrier™ and behavioral validation using the ARIS technology
UPCOMING
FUTURE PROJECTS
- Environmental impact studies aimed at improving the design of the permanent anchorage system, for enhancing biomass growth.
- Independent study in collaboration with the Reunion Shark Security Centre on the exclusion of bull sharks in New Caledonia.
- Engineering research to adapt the technology to be installed on more coastlines and sea substrates.
FOUNDER PUBLICATIONS
RESEARCH ON SHARK POPULATION STATUS AND ECOLOGY
The founders of SharkSafe Barrier™ Pty have been involved in shark research for more than a decade. Below are some of the publications (full list available on request).
2020
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Effective number of white shark (Carcharodon carcharias, Linnaeus) breeders is stable over four successive years in the population adjacent to eastern Australia and New Zealand.
Davenport, D., Butcher, P., Andreotti, S., Matthee, C., Jones, A., & Ovenden, J.
2019
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
The effect of kelp density on white shark movements in the Dyer Island Nature Reserve, South Africa
O’Connell CP, Andreotti S, Rutzen M, Meÿer M, Matthee C.A
2017
MARINE BIODIVERSITY
Semi-automated software for dorsal fin photographic identification of marine species: application to Carcharodon carcharias.
Andreotti S, Holtzhausen P, Rutzen M, Meÿer M, Walt S van der, Herbst B, Matthee CA
2016
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
An integrated mark-recapture and genetic approach to estimate the population size of white sharks in South Africa.
Andreotti S, Rutzen M, Walt S van der, Heyden S Von der, Henriques R, Meÿer M, Oosthuizen H, Matthee C
Conservation
SHARK
CONSERVATION
The SharkSafe Barrier Company is working with several conservation organizations to improve public knowledge about sharks. People tend to fear most what they don’t know and sharks are among the most misunderstood and wrongfully persecuted creatures on our planet. With myths and legends spreading faster than scientific knowledge, sharks are often unfairly represented by media and documentaries alike.
Fear and misconception of sharks have been justifying their inhumane treatment by the public and government for decades, from finning practices to the deployment of shark nets and drumlines. We believe that providing a solution for safe surfing and swimming is just a small piece of a large puzzle, and only a combined effort between innovation, conservation and education will bring the much-needed change to existing shark-management policies.
ECOSYSTEM
WHY CONSERVE SHARKS?
Sharks preserve the health of marine ecosystems and their numbers have been declining worldwide due to human activities. Conserving sharks results in a long term social, economic and ecological benefit. Sharks can be a socio-economic resource for a region as an eco-tourism attraction.
SHARK HUMAN CONFLICT
SOME FACTS
- From 2011 to 2016 there have been 491 registered shark attacks worldwide (43 fatal). 1
- For reducing the number of shark-human encounters the most used system has always been to cull the sharks by using shark nets and drumlines. 2, 3
- Culling technologies don’t provide a physical separation between beachgoers and sharks. In fact, in New South Wales (Australia), 65% of shark bites occur at netted beaches. Shark nets also resulted in large scale unjustified killing of marine animals (3944 in NSW over the past 20 years. 40% of these weren’t sharks, but whales, turtles and dolphins). 4
- The loss of sharks proved to also cause an imbalance in the prey/predator distribution: smaller sharks and marine mammals increase in number and, by eating smaller fish and crustaceans have a negative impact on local fisheries and the health status of the marine ecosystem. 5, 6, 7
- A reduction in the number of sharks also results in a loss for the shark eco-tourism businesses, valued at an excess of US$ 314 Mil a year worldwide. 8, 9
- In Durban, South Africa, seven gill nets were deployed in 1952 (each 130 m long) and in the first year of operation 552 elasmobranchs (e.g. sharks, rays and skates) were caught in these nets. Since 1989, some live sharks have been released from the nets but it is estimated that only 12,5% of the sharks captured in anti-shark nets survive. 3, 10, 11
- To date this problem, mostly in poorly developed countries, has not been addressed. As a response to an incident in Mozambique involving a bull shark (22/10/2015), “The Mozambican Maritime Administration has deployed a team of around 60 fishermen, biologists and local officials to hunt and kill a dangerous shark which attacked and killed a woman in the Bay of Inhambane in the south of the country“. 12
- Have a look at “The Shark-net Film”: a 2019 documentary explaining the Gold Coast Shark Nets in Queensland, Australia. The Shark Nets are explained by industry professionals in a 30 minute short film, collated by Holly Richmond and assembled by Drishti Studios (Qld) (link to the documentary).
Shark Stories
SharkSafe BarrierTM directors, Anthony Mederer and Dr. Sara Andreotti launched SHARK STORIES! A podcast series hosted on Cliff Central
DONATE
OUR GOAL
Our goal is ambitious but achievable. With your support, it will be achieved faster! Your donations will be directly used to financially support the research and development field expenditures of testing better anchorage systems in deep sand seafloors, for further improving the robustness of the design and for testing different material in an attempt to make the product more affordable, without compromising its effectiveness, strength, and durability.
Subscribe to our Newsletter below and follow our social media pages to see the progress of our research and development work.
Become part of the change and join our mission!
Contact Us
GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR TEAM
CONTACT US
CONTACT FORM
If you would like to contact the SharkSafe Barrier™ team, request an assessment or a quote, please fill out the form and the relevant team member will respond shortly.
ADDRESS
15 De Beer Street,
Stellenbosch
7600
POSTAL ADDRESS
P.O. Box 3354
Matieland
7602
Western Cape
South Africa
Product
ABOUT
OUR PRODUCT
SharkSafe Barrier™ successfully biomimics the visual effects of a thick kelp forest, and combines this with a series of permanent magnetic stimuli, to form a barrier that dissuades sharks from passing through.
The SharkSafe Barrier™ is the first effective and eco-friendly solution to protect humans from sharks without harming the marine life.
BENEFITS
WHY SHARKSAFE BARRIER™?
Being shark-specific, the SSB provides an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional anti-shark devices such as shark nets and drumlines.
TECHNICAL
DESCRIPTION
Research has indicated that large sharks avoid entering thick kelp forests. Furthermore, it has been proven that a strong magnetic field can deter shark species.
The SharkSafe Barrier™ is thus composed of an array of multiple vertical tubes (SSB Units) that biomimics a thick forest of kelp. The proprietary magnetic technology, that creates a repellent unique to sharks, is embedded in the outer row of Units to create an effective magnetic screen.
The SSB Units are manufactured from recycled HDPE, they are vertically buoyant, anchored to the seafloor, and extend up to 0.25 meters above the surface at high tide.
COMMERCIAL INSTALLATIONS
Bahamas Beach Protection
The eco-friendly SharkSafe Barrier™ technology is successfully protecting two beaches in The Bahamas. The first installation, a 30-metre section completed in August 2023, has proven its durability through rough seas and hurricanes. Based on these results, the same client commissioned a second 16-metre barrier in August 2025, confirming their satisfaction with the system’s performance.
The Bahamas has shown consistent leadership in ocean conservation. In 2011, it established the first shark sanctuary in the Atlantic Ocean, followed by the Marine Action Partnership (MAP) for Sustainable Fisheries in 2018. Today, shark tourism contributes around US$100 million per year to the local economy, highlighting the value of protecting these species and their habitats.
Each SharkSafe Barrier™ combines high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes manufactured by KND Fabrications in Maitland, Cape Town, and stainless-steel components produced by TFD in Stellenbosch. During installation, the buoyant pipes are mounted on a grid-like structure, spaced one metre apart, with ceramic magnets positioned along the ocean-facing row. The grid is then weighted with 200-kilogram, limpet-shaped concrete blocks and secured with substrate-specific anchors to ensure stability in varying seabed conditions.
This technology offers a practical, non-lethal alternative to traditional shark-control methods, creating safer swimming areas while protecting marine ecosystems. It’s a valuable solution for coastal regions that depend on ocean recreation and tourism — including South Africa, Brazil, New Caledonia, The Bahamas, and Réunion.
More information LINK: https://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=10273
SCIENTIFIC TESTS
PREVIOUS WORKS
Earlier prototypes of the SharkSafe Barrier™ were installed in The Bahamas and in South Africa from 2012 to 2016. The purpose was to prove the efficacy of the technology to deter bull sharks and white sharks from entering a set area.
The first commercial installation of the latest product design was successfully exported to Reunion Island in January 2019, for the Shark Security Centre (CSR). The installation in St Paul, Reunion, consisted of a 10mx10m square (on the inside) built with 200 SSB Units.
The SSB Units required minimal maintenance for 24 months and withstood two years of winter storms at Reunion (See in video from 1:30). The installation was removed in April 2021, at the end of the project.
HISTORY
THE ORIGINS OFSHARKSAFE BARRIER™
The concept of the SharkSafe Barrier™ was conceived in 2011 when Mike Rutzen met marine biologist Dr. Craig O’ Connell.
Mike, during his free diving sessions with white sharks, had noticed that sharks did not swim through the local kelp forests, even when pursuing cape fur seals. This inspired the idea for a visual barrier biomimicking a forest of kelp, to have the potential to become the first eco-friendly alternative to the conventional shark nets. Craig, who was exploring the use of electrosensory stimuli, such as permanent magnets, to repel sharks from commercial fishing gear and beach nets as part of his PhD project, came to South Africa to test his magnets on the white sharks. The two joined forces and combined their knowledge.
The SharkSafe Barrier™ technology was developed and tested on bull sharks and white sharks from 2012 to 2016. The SharkSafe Barrier™ proved to be 100% effective in deterring sharks under controlled testing, and after years of rigorous trials, the results were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
SharkSafe Barrier™ deployed in Gansbaai (South Africa) for full scale testing of its efficacy on white sharks
Home
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS SHARKSAFE BARRIER™?
The SharkSafe Barrier™ is the ideal eco-friendly solution designed to safely separate sharks from beachgoers, without harming the marine environment. Developed over 17 years of extensive research and testing, it significantly reduces the risk of shark-human encounters. Already deployed at two beaches in The Bahamas, the barrier not only enhances coastal safety but also supports regenerative tourism, offering a transformative approach to addressing the shark-human conflict.
SOLUTION
Our tested barrier technology reduces the chances of shark encounters by combining a visual and magnetic deterrent. The eco-friendly SharkSafe Barrier™ is designed to be recognised by sharks as a natural obstacle, as it mimics the visual appearance of a dense kelp forest (large marine seaweeds). The barrier also contains large ceramic magnets that create a strong magnetic field within a 2 m radius, preventing sharks from swimming through it.
It is built for robustness, preventing entanglement, allowing boats to pass through, and withstanding strong ocean conditions with staggered rows of vertical recycled HDPE pipes. The SharkSafe Barrier™ can be securely anchored on rocky, sandy, and mixed-substrate seafloors.
Other marine life, such as seals, manatees, and bony fish, can freely swim through it, and it has been shown to increase local biomass by functioning as a thriving artificial reef.
OUR VISION
PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE
At SharkSafe Barrier™ our vision is to provide effective and sustainable solutions to mitigate the shark-human conflict, redefining the way humans interact with the world’s oceans
OUR MISSION
INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY
Our mission at SharkSafe Barrier™ is to stop global shark cull policies through innovation, research, and education, all while contributing to social and economic growth. We are committed to developing innovative solutions to shark culling, grounded in thorough research, that contribute to ocean conservation
OUR VALUES
AT THE CORE OF SHARKSAFE
INTEGRITY
We are committed to cultivating and preserving a robust reputation. At our core, we prioritise honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour in both customer service and internal management.
PROFESSIONALISM
Our team is our greatest asset. Each member of our team is aligned to our mission and contributes with their unique and invaluable skills.
PASSION FOR THE OCEAN
Marine conservation is critical to our decision-making.
PROBLEM
SHARK-HUMAN CONFLICT
Shark accidents can severely impact coastal communities, often reducing beach use and causing major losses for local businesses and tourism. Despite an average of only 7–8 fatal shark accidents worldwide each year, a single incident at Ballina Beach (Australia) led to a US$200,000 drop in sales for a local surf shop. On La Réunion Island, 19 incidents between 2011 and 2016 caused an annual tourism loss of US$23 million.
Historically, shark–human conflict has been managed with baited hooks (drumlines) and gillnets, designed to catch and reduce large shark populations. Although gillnets are illegal in South Africa due to excessive bycatch, they are still used in shark control programs, where 80% of animals killed are IUCN-listed protected species. Removing large sharks has also triggered harmful ecological effects in an ocean where 100 million sharks are already killed each year.
It is our responsibility to redirect national and international shark control programs away from shark-culling and towards modern, sustainable management approaches.
WHAT WE DO
Our Services
- An in-depth survey of each area of deployment
- South Africa manufactured SharkSafe Barrier™ kit
- Installation in partnership with local, on the ground teams
- Training of a local team for ongoing monitoring and maintenance
- Shipped worldwide
The initial survey is crucial to optimize the SharkSafe Barrier™ design and installation to the specific site, and to provide a realistic cost estimate.
Due to the need to combine the knowledge in the field of shark behaviour with coastal engineering, the established SharkSafe Barrier™ team personally conduct all site surveys.