Why drone experience matters before searching for sharks from the air

Lauren Landers Sailing explicitly cautions that she does not recommend flying a drone to search for sharks unless you are experienced. Flying over open water introduces challenges beyond basic piloting. Signal can drop when the drone moves too far out, forcing the operator to reposition. Sun glare makes it difficult to see into the water clearly. And because you are constantly hoping to spot something, familiar dark spots on the seafloor start to blur together and can trigger false excitement. Experience helps you recognise the fixed features of a location, like coral heads, so you can focus attention on anything new and moving.