Grey nurse shark in External Territories

A placid, critically endangered shark that hangs in sandy gutters at a handful of east-coast aggregation sites.

Carcharias taurus

All states QLD NSW VIC TAS SA WA NT Territories

The grey nurse shark is the animal most associated with diving in New South Wales. Up to 3.2 m long, bulky, with a mouth of protruding teeth that gave it an undeserved reputation, it spends the day hovering almost motionless in gutters, caves and under ledges, gulping air at the surface to fine-tune its buoyancy. Divers who approach calmly and stay out of the gutters can watch a dozen or more at a few metres' range for a whole dive.

The east-coast population was hunted and speared almost to extinction in the mid-20th century and is listed as critically endangered, with an estimated 2,000 animals. It migrates seasonally along the coast between about Wolf Rock in Queensland and Montague Island in southern NSW, aggregating at the same sites year after year. Many of those sites are gazetted critical habitat with legal codes of conduct: no touching, chasing or blocking, no flash within 1.5 m, no more than ten divers, no anchoring.

Field notes

How to find grey nurse shark on the dive

Depth: Usually 12–25 m, in the gutters and caves rather than over open reef.
Habitat: Sand-floored gutters between rock walls, cave mouths and the lee of pinnacles, on the east coast from Wolf Rock to Montague Island. The same gutters every year.
The tell: Look along the gutter floor, not up: a row of grey shapes hanging almost motionless a metre off the sand, facing into the current, mouths slightly open showing the ragged teeth. Bubbles rising from a cave mouth often mean a shark inside; so does a strong, slightly oily smell of fish in the water column.
Behaviour: They hold station by day, moving slowly against the current, and feed at night. Pregnant females gather at Wolf Rock from winter; juveniles use the southern sites. They are placid but startle if crowded, and a startled shark leaves the gutter and may not return that day.
Etiquette: Gazetted critical habitat rules apply at most sites: stay on the edge of the gutter, never block an exit, no touching or chasing, no flash within 1.5 m, groups of ten or fewer, no anchoring in the gutter. Settle on the sand at the entrance, control your breathing and let them come past you.
Photographing them: Wide lens, natural light or a very low strobe, shoot from the side at their level; the gutter walls make a frame.

Grey nurse shark sites in External Territories0 sites

Ordered by how regularly the site is dived and how well it is documented. The species is listed in each site's recorded marine life; sightings are never guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find grey nurse shark on a dive?

Sand-floored gutters between rock walls, cave mouths and the lee of pinnacles, on the east coast from Wolf Rock to Montague Island. The same gutters every year. Look along the gutter floor, not up: a row of grey shapes hanging almost motionless a metre off the sand, facing into the current, mouths slightly open showing the ragged teeth. Bubbles rising from a cave mouth often mean a shark inside; so does a strong, slightly oily smell of fish in the water column.

Where is the best place to see grey nurse shark in Australia?

Fish Rock and the Pinnacles at Forster hold sharks year-round. Magic Point in Sydney, Julian Rocks, the Solitary Islands, Broughton Island, the Tollgates, Montague Island and Wolf Rock are the other main sites.

When is the best time to see grey nurse shark?

Northern sites peak June–October; Sydney and the south coast peak November–March; Fish Rock, Forster and Seal Rocks are reliable every month.

How should I approach grey nurse shark?

Approach from the side of a gutter, never the ends. Settle on the bottom and let them come to you. Read the grey nurse guide for the full code of conduct.

How to find grey nurse shark on the dive

Depth

Usually 12–25 m, in the gutters and caves rather than over open reef.

Habitat

Sand-floored gutters between rock walls, cave mouths and the lee of pinnacles, on the east coast from Wolf Rock to Montague Island. The same gutters every year.

The tell

Look along the gutter floor, not up: a row of grey shapes hanging almost motionless a metre off the sand, facing into the current, mouths slightly open showing the ragged teeth. Bubbles rising from a cave mouth often mean a shark inside; so does a strong, slightly oily smell of fish in the water column.

Behaviour

They hold station by day, moving slowly against the current, and feed at night. Pregnant females gather at Wolf Rock from winter; juveniles use the southern sites. They are placid but startle if crowded, and a startled shark leaves the gutter and may not return that day.

Etiquette

Gazetted critical habitat rules apply at most sites: stay on the edge of the gutter, never block an exit, no touching or chasing, no flash within 1.5 m, groups of ten or fewer, no anchoring in the gutter. Settle on the sand at the entrance, control your breathing and let them come past you.

Photographing them

Wide lens, natural light or a very low strobe, shoot from the side at their level; the gutter walls make a frame.