Waves of Discovery - Sharks in Marina

The Grey Nurse Shark is considered critically endangered on the Australian east coast but if you were to take a walk around the Shellharbour marina on any given day, you wouldn’t know it.

These majestic animals have made themselves at home at the newly opened marina and are drawing crowds from all over with encounters with the sharks lighting up social media in recent weeks.

As education improves, conservation efforts ramp up and habitats become safer and more abundant, we are seeing a revival of the Grey Nurse population and Shell Cove is proving to be leading that charge.

There have been daily sightings of the Sharks under and around the boardwalks of the marina and we wanted to share a little more information on the Grey Nurse Shark and just how special this opportunity actually is but also why we need to do our part to help protect and respect them.

 

What is a Grey Nurse Shark?

Grey Nurse Sharks have large, stout bodies, a pointed snout with many rows of visible teeth and small eyes. They are grey to grey-brown on top, paler underneath with two large dorsal fins of similar size. The tail is distinctive as the top lobe is larger than the bottom. Their upper body is bronze-coloured, while the underside is paler. Juveniles tend to have darker spots on the lower half of their body which fade as they get older. Grey nurse sharks grow to at least 3.6 metres in length and prefer habitats that are shallow, inshore waters with sandy-bottomed gutters or rocky caves. There are two populations of Grey Nurse Sharks in Australia – the east coast population lives along the coast of New South Wales and southern Queensland, and the west coast population is distributed in the southwest coastal waters of Western Australia.

 
Are they dangerous?

Despite their appearance – and the reputation of their relatives - Grey Nurse Sharks are not considered dangerous, on the contrary, they are known for their very placid nature. However, if provoked or scared, Grey Nurses can, and will, bite and like with any species or animal, you must remain careful and vigilant, always.

 Fast Facts…

·       Grey Nurse Sharks swallow air at the surface of the water in order to give them buoyancy control

·       They are a slow but strong swimmer and generally more active at night.

·       They have large, sharp teeth, but they are not very strong and break easily

·       The Grey Nurse Shark was the first protected shark in the world when it was listed under NSW legislation in 1984.

·       Grey Nurse Sharks grow to at least 3.6 metres in length and weigh around 160kg

·       Towards the end of the gestation period, the more fully developed embryos eat the less developed embryos and unfertilised eggs within the female shark’s uterus. As a result, only two pups are produced per litter – one in each uterus.

·       Grey Nurse Sharks only breed once every two years - the lowest reproductive rate of any shark which has also impacted their revival numbers.

 

How can we keep them safe?

·       Respect their space, don’t overcrowd them

·       Do not try to touch or get too close.

·       Remove any rubbish or fishing gear that you see in the water or on the beach

·       Don’t fish in or around areas where Grey Nurse sharks or their pups might be.

·       Report illegal behaviour.

·       Contact the Threatened Species Network in your state and participate in volunteer work