Until you actually start diving a lot of people have a fear of sharks.. I guess it is a fear of the unknown. Once people learn to dive and see what is actually down there generally that fear is gone and the view is changed to one of wanting to protect them.

In NSW there is 4 species of sharks that you can commonly see when diving and now is the perfect time of year to see them. We have the grey nurse shark, the wobbygong shark, the port jackson shark and the crested shark that divers see on a regular basis. Let shave a look at each one and then let you know when you can join us for a dive to see them for yourself!

The grey nurse shark is a popular one with divers, this is the one in the aquarium. It looks like a nasty shark as you can see its teeth but is actually quite scared of you and if you do not give it space it will swim off very fast. Generally you only see these sharks if you plan to go to a spot where they are.

If you want to dive with the grey nurse sharks here are a few options for you

The magic point shark dive in Sydney. This is the most popular boat dive we do. Anyone can join it, the sharks are in 15m of water and it is an easy dive see

A weekend away to Nelson Bay or South West Rocks. For this one you need to be advanced certified as the sharks are in a little deeper water.

Or weekend dive trip to Forster. This is combined with a deep wreck dive so you need to have a deep spec cert for this one see

If you want to take on a shark that does not really look like a shark then the port jackson or crested horn shark is the one for you. They look shy and cute, not your typical heart stopping scary shark. It’s no wonder divers look forward to their return every winter. Both of these sharks have a very similar body shape and sit on the floor of the ocean. The main difference of there markings, the port jackson has a distinct harness-like markings which cross the eyes, run along the back to the first dorsal fin, then cross the side of the body where as the crested horne has more of a blotchy patters.

Pjs can grow to a length of 1.65m. But more commonly the males are about 75cm and the females are usually 80-95cm.

As these cute sharks are only found around the colder months you must be sure to come for between June to August as there is heaps of them out. Right now you can easily see 10 on one dive.

Join us on our “Porn dive” as we will be doing a presentation on Port Jackson Sharks and then heading out to see if we can find any sharks matting   . It is FREE to come along to so go on.. face you fears on come on a shark dive!

Last but not least lets look at the wobbygong shark. This is what you eat when you order flake and chips! When I started diving 18 years ago you would see these on every dive now they are not so common. They site on the bottom of the ocean like the port Jackson and crested horn shark but are a little aggressive if you annoy them. They can reach around and bit there own tail so if divers startle them they may bit you. There bit is a bit like a dog bite. They will not eat you alive but will latch on to you if you annoy them. As they look like carpet there are very camouflaged so you do need to look out for them. As they rules goes staff off the bottom and do not touch, tease or harrash marine life 

RELATED POSTS