GREY NURSE SHARKS
An eye-to-eye encounter is absolutely adrenaline pumping!
SPECIES DETAILS
Scientific name:
Carcharias taurus
Habitat:
Shallow coastal waters near drop offs, caves & ledges
Population:
Estimated east coast 2,000 (Low 500)
Conservation status:
Critically Endangered (Protected in QLD, NSW, TAS, & WA)
Australian distribution:
QLD, NSW & WA
INFORMATION
Grey nurse sharks, also known as sand tiger sharks, are easily identified by their two similarly sized dorsal fins, tail lob, and their jagged pointy teeth which gives them their fearsome appearance.
They can grow to over 3.5 metres (12’) in length.
Much maligned in the 1950’s & 60’s when they were regarded as a ‘man-eater’, these slow moving, docile, harmless sharks provided easy targets for divers with spearguns armed with power heads. Sadly, they were largely hunted just for the thrill of the kill!
In New South Wales, numbers dwindled to less the 300 and in 1984, New South Wales introduced the first shark protection legislation in the world.
Vulnerable to hunting, fishing and pollution, they are an Australian Threatened Species, also protected in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. Sadly, they are commonly observed with fish hooks in their mouths!
Grey nurse sharks are seasonal, in southern waters where they are more prevalent during late summer and autumn, tending to migrate to warmer northern waters over winter.
Interactions usually occur with two or three sharks but encounters with up to ten sharks is not uncommon.
Even when there are no sharks, diving at these aggregation sites is still fantastic, offering an incredible diversity of marine life.
Interactions with grey nurse sharks can be seasonal, please check with the local dive services provider.
50 Great Dives that are grey nurse shark aggregation sites:
Wolf Rock READ MORE
Solitary Islands READ MORE
Fish Rock Cave READ MORE
Broughton Island READ MORE
Magic Point READ MORE
Tollgate Shark Gutter READ MORE
Barungba Seals READ MORE
Rottnest Island READ MORE
Special thanks to the Beneath The Bay Team
Copyright © 2025 Steve Sinclair
DIVE DETAILS
Check with local dive services provider
2026 GREAT AUSTRALIAN DIVE CHALLENGE
Dive Registration
To register this dive for validation, go to: www.50greatdives.com.
NOTE: Entrants should do this dive with one of the following preferred dive services.
DIVE SERVICES
QUEENSLAND
Rainbow Beach
WOLF ROCK DIVE CENTRE +61 (7) 5486 8004
Sunshine Coast
SUNREEF +61 (7) 5444 5656
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SUBSURFACE SCUBA +61 (7) 5493 9097
Brisbane
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North Stradbroke Island
MANTA LODGE & SCUBA CENTRE +(7) 3409 8888
Gold Coast
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GOLD COAST DIVE CENTRE +61 (7) 5572 0511
NEW SOUTH WALES
Tweed Heads
KIRRA DIVE +61 (7) 5536 6622
Coffs Harbour
JETTY DIVE +61 (2) 6651 1611
South West Rocks
FISH ROCK DIVE CENTRE +61 (0) 432 050 409
Port Macquarie
SCUBA HAVEN +61 (0) 407 457 542
Forster Tuncurry
DIVE FORSTER +(61) 409 466 958
Central Coast
CENTRAL COAST DIVERS +61 (2) 2 4389 3483
Sydney
ABYSS SCUBA DIVING +61 (2) 9583 9662
Wollongong
DIVE NEAR ME +61 (2) 4210 9279
Jervis Bay
DIVE JERVIS BAY +61 (2) 4441 5255
Batemans Bay
BENEATH THE BAY +61 (0) 405 838 957
Montague Island
UNDERWATER SAFARIS +61 (0) 415 805 479
DIVE TRAVEL SERVICES
