Grey Nurse Shark Numbers Down Down

April 29, 2009

Release from: Narooma News (Australia)

Divers from the Nature Coast Marine Group struck it lucky recently when they dropped into the water off Potato Point and found a 2.5-metre grey nurse shark beneath the boat.

NCMG Secretary Bill Barker said diving with the sharks was a major attraction for scuba divers on the south coast but sightings have been few and far between this season.

In addition to the Potato Point sighting on Saturday, April 18, there had probably only been one other sighting of two sharks at Montague Island, according to the divers and charter boat operators.

“Those of us who are concerned about the future of the grey nurse sharks have been worried this year because so few have been seen in our waters,” Mr Barker said.

“So it was great to come across one of these magnificent animals.”

At the usual shark aggregation sites sightings at Montague Island and the Tollgate Islands off Batemans Bay sightings this year have been infrequent and unpredictable.

This contrasts with past years, when sightings of up to a dozen sharks were not uncommon, he said.

As a species, the grey nurse shark is critically endangered and there are widespread concerns that they are headed for extinction.

Hopefully, though, the lack of sharks in our waters this year is just a one-off seasonal phenomenon rather than an indication of a downward trend, Mr Barker said.

“The sharks are migratory, spending the summer in southern New South Wales waters and then moving north for the winter.”

Mr Barker said that he had received a report from a dive operator at Coffs Harbour that they are seeing up to 40 sharks at a time this summer whereas usually they only see them in the winter.

“Maybe something about the Eastern Australian Current this year has caused the sharks to decide to stay up north,” he said.

“Hopefully we will see them again next year and they will once again be a magnet for scuba divers coming to the south coast.”