Coast Clear 2.0 is here — with an entirely new experience, Dark Mode, faster reporting, and a foundation built for what comes next.
When I first built Coast Clear, the idea was simple: create an easy way for people in the U.S. Virgin Islands to share and see recent shark sightings around our beaches.
With version 2.0, I went back to that original idea and rebuilt the app from the ground up.
The result is a faster, smoother, more native iPhone experience that makes it easier to report a sighting, understand recent activity, and stay informed before heading into the water.
A Completely Rebuilt Experience
Coast Clear 2.0 isn’t just a visual refresh. The app has been redesigned and rebuilt with a new foundation.
The interface is cleaner, navigation is more intuitive, and common actions take fewer steps. Whether you’re checking recent activity or reporting something you just saw, the goal is to keep Coast Clear simple and useful.
And you still don’t need to create an account to get started. Open the app and you’re ready to explore recent sightings.
Report Sightings Faster
When you see something, reporting it should be easy.
In Coast Clear 2.0, you can quickly start a new sighting report from anywhere in the app. You can also press and hold directly on the map to report a sighting at a particular location.
That makes it easier to pinpoint where something was seen without navigating through multiple screens.
See Recent Activity at a Glance
Not every sighting carries the same relevance. Something reported recently is naturally more useful when deciding what is happening around a beach right now.
The new Activity Legend makes sighting recency easier to understand directly from the map. Color-coded markers help distinguish recent activity from older reports so you can quickly put what you’re seeing into context.
Get Directions to a Sighting
Want to know exactly where a sighting was reported?
Tap the location from a sighting and Coast Clear can open it in Maps, making it easier to understand where the activity occurred or get directions to the area.
A Redesigned Safety Section
Coast Clear is about awareness—not creating unnecessary alarm.
Version 2.0 includes a redesigned Safety section with clearer, easier-to-navigate information for enjoying the water responsibly and understanding what to do around shark activity.
It’s another part of the app’s broader goal: provide useful information and let you make informed decisions.
Dark Mode Has Arrived
🌙 Coast Clear 2.0 now includes complete Dark Mode support.
By default, Coast Clear follows your iPhone’s system appearance, but you can also choose Light or Dark Mode yourself.
Dark Mode extends throughout the experience, including the map, cards, forms, sheets, navigation, and other interface elements. Sighting and activity markers have also been designed to remain clear against the darker map while maintaining appropriate contrast and accessibility.
Whether you’re checking the coast in bright Caribbean sunshine or looking at the map at night, Coast Clear should feel at home on your iPhone.
More Control Over Your Experience
As a community-powered app, Coast Clear needs tools that help keep the information useful.
Version 2.0 adds the ability to report a sighting or block another user directly from sighting details. You can also delete sightings you’ve submitted yourself.
These tools give people more control over what they see while helping support a healthier community around shared reports.
An Optional Ad-Free Experience
Coast Clear remains easy to start using without an account, and version 2.0 introduces an optional subscription for anyone who prefers an ad-free experience.
It’s also a way to help support the continued development and operation of Coast Clear.
Built for What Comes Next
Some of the most important work in Coast Clear 2.0 isn’t necessarily something you’ll see on a screen.
Rebuilding the app gave me an opportunity to create a much stronger foundation for future features and improvements.
There are plenty of ideas for where Coast Clear can go next, but the goal remains the same: make it easier for our coastal communities to share information and stay aware of what’s happening around our beaches.
Coast Clear 2.0 also includes numerous performance improvements and interface refinements throughout the app.
Coast Clear 2.0 Is Available Now
If you already use Coast Clear, update to version 2.0 to experience the completely redesigned app.
If you haven’t tried it yet, now is a great time to start.
Download Coast Clear on the App Store
You can also learn more about the app on the Coast Clear website.
Thanks for helping keep our coastal communities informed. 🌊🦈
