It’s shark week, and I finally ticked off “diving with sharks” off my Australia’s travel bucket list a few days ago!Β We went back to Julian Rocks last weekend, as the dive we did last month was too early in the season to spot grey nurse sharks. We had a blast!

Julian Rocks is rated as one of the top five scuba diving locations in Australia. As the warm tropical currents mix with cooler temperate waters, it attracts many different species according to the season. If you want to dive with grey nurse sharks in Byron Bay, wait for the water to be cold; grey nurse sharks come there in winter (June – September).

See my post on Julian Rocks for more details about this dive location.

Diving in Australia? Don’t miss this list of the best scuba diving sites on Australia’s East Coast!

Why scuba diving with grey nurse sharks was on my bucket list

There are many different species of sharks. I have dived with sharks since my first dive, and I am always excited to spot them. I often had the opportunity to see the common sharks from the Eastern Australian Coast: reef sharks (grey, white or black tip), wobbegongs, guitar sharks…

None of these sharks is known to be dangerous. They are not as impressive as the images and terror we have in mind when we think about sharks. I always enjoy seeing them, but I was ready for the next step.

Grey nurse sharks look scary, but they’re actually harmless.

Byron Bay Scuba Diving with Sharks

Their shape, their size (3.5m), their exposed teeth and their proximity to divers create a very impressive experience. Shivers are guaranteed: the first time they look at you while coming closer and finally swim only 10cm above your head creates a unique feeling.

Sadly, Grey Nurse Sharks are facing extinction. They used to be in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific oceans. Today, they can only be found in North Carolina and off Natal, and in Australia (south-west of Western Australia and on the East Coast in the north of New South Wales / South of Queensland).

Although they are now protected, their population take a long time to recover from the extensive commercial fishing in the past, and they still are in real danger of disappearing. A significant threat to the recovery of the species is the accidental capture during recreational or commercial fishing in areas of habitat, in addition to the more obvious illegal fishing.

For those travelling on the South East Coast of Australia, these are actions we can do to help Grey Nurse Sharks a bit (copied from the Department of the Environment – Government of Australia website):

  • Remove any rubbish or fishing gear that you see in the water or on the beach
  • Refrain from fishing in Grey Nurse Shark areas
  • If diving, report any tagged Grey Nurse Sharks to New South Wales Fisheries or the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
  • If fishing, report any Grey Nurse Sharks accidentally caught to New South Wales Fisheries or the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
  • Contact the Threatened Species Network in your state and participate in volunteer work
  • Learn more about threatened species and their habitats.

You can book your dive online here*. You’ve never dived before? That’s not a problem. You can do an introductory dive* or justΒ snorkel with turtles.

Would you scuba dive with grey nurse sharks? Share your experience in the comments below?

Do you find scuba diving scary? I know the feeling. I have now done more than 200 dives, so I’ve shared my experience about overcoming my fear of scuba diving in this article; I hope it can help!

Where did I scuba dive with sharks in Byron Bay?

Where is Julia Rocks?

Julian Rocks is 2.5 kilometres from Byron Bay shore, in New South Wales (Australia). It takes approximately 2 hours to drive from Brisbane to Byron Bay. It’s a long day trip, but it’s a perfect destination for a scuba diving weekend away from Brisbane.

You can also find excellent dives with Grey Nurse Sharks at Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island), Cherubs Cave, Wolf Rock (Rainbow Beach), Fish Rock Cave (South West Rocks) or Broughton Island (Port Stephens).

Did you like this article about shark diving in Julians Rocks in Byron Bay? Add this to your Pinterest board:

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Eloise

Eloise is the creator and writer of MyFavouriteEscapes.com. She writes about her experiences exploring exotic destinations and finding hidden gems closer to home. Her goal is to share tips and stories to inspire and encourage others to go on their own adventures. She loves outdoor and nature-based activities like scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, and sailing. She grew up in France and has lived in England and Turkey before calling Australia home for the past decade. So let's get ready for another adventure!

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  1. Carol Colborn

    Wow, what an experience!! You are a brave adventurous soul! Why are they called grey nurse?

    1. Eloise

      I’m not that brave: I only go when danger is low and controlled πŸ˜‰
      I did some research about the name, and it’s quite obscure. I’ve put what I’ve found below as I think it’s interesting to look at how confusing it is πŸ˜‰ But sorry, I don’t have an answer for you. I’ll try to ask the staff next time I have the opportunity.
      This is what I’ve found about nurse sharks, that are a lot different from the grey nurse sharks according to the photo:
      “The origin of the name “nurse shark” is unclear. It may come from the sucking sound they make when hunting for prey in the sand, which vaguely resembles that of a nursing baby. Or it may derive from an archaic word, nusse, meaning cat shark. The most likely theory though is that the name comes from the Old English word for sea-floor shark: hurse.” – from the National Geographic (http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/nurse-shark/)
      To make it easier, the Grey Nurse Shark has several names. It is called “Sand Tiger Shark” by Wikipedia (not to be confused with the tiger sharks, though), that mentions:
      “The grey nurse shark, the name used in Australia and the United Kingdom, is the second-most-used name for the shark, and in India it is known as blue-nurse sand tiger.” – from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_tiger_shark)

  2. Dave (Silverbackpacker)

    Its really another world underneath the sea. I like the pointers you gave to help save these sharks. Its very important that we do take care of the marine life thats left before everything disappears completely.
    I think i would be worried if one suddenly came swimming out of the murky waters towards me. Love the close up images with their teeth showing…………..

    1. Eloise

      Thanks for your comments Dave, and for reading how to save them. I really hope we’ll manage to reverse this. It’s so sad to loose our marine life.
      And you’re right, if it comes to you suddenly, that’s a good idea to be worried. I’m glad I was doing the dive knowing a bit what to expect! πŸ˜€

  3. Goblinette

    Sounds great. I prefer diving with smaller fishes. You said they are not dangerous, but they those sharks don’t look very friendly.

    1. Eloise

      They can be very impressive indeed. There are tons of smaller fish around Julians Rocks too, it’s such a great place πŸ™‚

  4. Nancy

    Your photo’s came out great for being underwater, so clear! My son just got his certification to dive. His goal is to get to the Great Barrier Reef and swim with the sharks. I’m sending him your link!

    1. Eloise

      The visibility wasn’t too good for the photos but the sharks were coming very close, so it really helped πŸ˜‰
      Thank you for your comments and sharing the link. I hope your son will enjoy his trip to the reef. I advise going to the Outer Reef for a better experience. The sharks we saw over there were reef sharks – smaller and less impressive but still great to meet. If he has time to come a bit further down for the Grey Nurse, it’s an amazing shark experience. Byron Bay is great for the Open Water Diver. If he goes to the Advanced Certification, Rainbow Beach (Queensland) or Fish Rock Cave (New South Wales) can be great options too!

  5. melody pittman

    What an adventurous diver you are! I have never even heard of half those things you listed in the marine life list. Looks like so much fun and danger, all at the same time. Have a great time diving and thanks for sharing the underwater life with the rest of us chickens.

    1. Eloise

      Thank you for leaving a comment Melody. It’s often that I don’t know the things I discover underwater until I go back on the boat and ask the guide what we saw! I love how much I have to learn about the underwater life and system, it’s very exciting. It’s really good fun and – for the dives I pick – danger is limited! πŸ™‚

  6. Paul

    This would be so cool, we would love to do something like this one day, although the sharks aren’t dangerous it still looks quite scary!

    1. Eloise

      I hope you get the chance to do it, Paul! It’s scary at the beginning and then it’s impressive and fascinating πŸ™‚

  7. Victor

    Wow!! What a great adventure!! That is going to my bucket list now πŸ˜‰ great article!

    1. Eloise

      Thank you, VIctor. I hope you’ll tick that one off your bucket list soon then! πŸ˜€

  8. So cool!! I just did a couple of shark dives in Fiji and saw tawny nurse sharks (not grey), bull sharks, lemon sharks, grey reef, silvertips, white and black tips. It was truly mindblowing to see that many sharks in such close proximity. some people are against feeding sharks (let them find their own food) but the dive centre i went with (Beqa Adventure Divers) uses the shark feeding to monitor the sharks and do research on them, so i think in this case the pros outweigh the cons. it’s a complex topic for sure.
    i would like to see grey nurse sharks someday!

    1. Eloise

      Michelle, I am happy that my article reminded you great times in Fiji. I haven’t been there yet but I’ve heard about it. It is indeed very impressive the number of species you saw in only two dives!
      As you say, mixing conservation with tourism is a complex topic indeed. I am amongst those who believe feeding sharks for tourist attraction isn’t a good idea. How could that help the shark? In this situation, I believe the aim is to make tourists happy, not the sharks. Still, it is, of course, a better idea to exploit sharks for tourism than to kill them for their fins, so I don’t want to blame the tourism industry too much! I had a quick look at what Beqa Adventure Divers does for shark conservation (http://fijisharkdive.com/conservation/fiji-shark-project/): they share some profits with local fishermen and also state on their website they financially support research. Doesn’t sound too bad to me!

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