Australia’s Gold Coast isn’t just about sun-soaked beaches and thrilling theme parks; it’s also a gateway to unique underwater adventures. If you’re a scuba diver and love marine life, then you’ll want to know about the amazing experiences with sharks that awaits you, just offshore from the city of Gold Coast! But, be quick about it – the season to dive with the Grey Nurse Sharks (GNS) is winding down, and you’ve got only a few weeks left to catch this incredible spectacle.
So, let’s dive into it, quite literally!
During our southern hemisphere winter, Grey Nurse Sharks – a.k.a Ragged-Tooth Sharks, a.k.a Sand Tiger Sharks – are the stars of the show around here. These sharks may seem a bit intimidating with their formidable teeth and powerful appearance, but they’re actually one of the gentle giants of the ocean. They have a distinctive grey colour and those strikingly sharp teeth, but their true nature is more like a docile neighbour in the aquatic community.
Now, here’s the deal: From May to November, these GNS make their way north to the shores of Queensland. It’s like they know it’s time to hit the stage. This annual migration brings them to a number of aggregation zones around Gold Coast, and scuba divers from all over the country and the world come to our neck of the woods to catch a glimpse of these remarkable creatures, most notably at our dive sites, Shark Alley – North Stradbroke Island and Nine-Mile Reef (not far from Cook Island Aquatic Reserve which is near Tweed Heads).
Imagine this… You’re diving in a group with other certified divers, descending down through the water column, and then, all of a sudden, there are a dozen 2 – 3 metre Grey Nurse Sharks gliding gracefully through the water all around you. These sharks look fierce, but they’re more like the wise elders of the ocean. Their movements are fluid, and they exude an air of ancient wisdom, having been around for millions of years.
Now, what’s the rush to dive with them, you might ask? Well, the Grey Nurse Sharks are on a bit of a schedule! Their migration patterns are pretty precise. They’ll soon be leaving Gold Coast waters until next year, as they have done for millennia, following the rhythms of the planet and our ocean.
So, come and make a splash, explore the depths, and embark on an unforgettable journey to encounter Gold Coast’s Grey Nurse Shark population this year, while you still can! OR you may just have to wait until 2024 😉
If you are a certified diver, you can check out our online schedule for any triple-dive adventure to North Stradbroke Island or Nine-Mile Reef right HERE
We can safely say, it’s a dive you will not want to miss!