Descending slowly, you see them cruising below you. They are grey nurse sharks and there are lots of them! Sleek and smooth, like docile underwater greyhounds, they just cruise past: above, below and beside you. Swimming with the strong cold currents, preferring the warm thermal layers (much like us), they are just amazing to see, and if you are quiet in the water, they will just cruise by, some so close, you can look them straight in the eye.
South West Rocks, on the northern coast of New South Wales about 6 hours north of Sydney, is THE place to come to see Grey Nurse sharks, and this weekend we were not disappointed. This is the second Australia Day long weekend I've spent diving with Dive Bondi and Fish Rock Dive Centre. 6 dives later over 3 days, and I am still beaming with the close encounters with so many sharks, eels, kingfish, big turtles, bull rays, countless wobbegongs and huge schools bream and other fish.
The sharks may be the draw card, but the cave dive through Fish Rock is just as inspiring, with little lobsters wedged between rocks, and a spectacular exit into the Aquarium filled with schools of colourful fish, eels, little clown fish and more sharks!
We even saw this incredible manta ray, swimming with it's buddy, the kingfish. The manta ray was huge, with long, strong wings and a large beak, it hovered above us swimming against the current as we watched from a ledge only a meter away.
An awesome weekend, which is highly recommended, particularly when you dive safely with experienced divers. Huge thanks to the boys from the Fish Rock dive centre - (Jon, Simon and Larry) and the gang from Dive Bondi (Simon, Cass, Marcus). Cheers !
PS. Do take a camera, as no-one will believe you when you're back in the office!
