What type of sharks in Sydney area?

[Daryl Morse]

I went on a boat dive in Sydney last weekend. Another great day with Prodive. (No, I don't work for them!) Would've been better had I not found after the dive that I swam right past a wobbie and didn't see it. Doh!

Anyway, after diving, I hung out on Manly beach for the rest of the afternoon. During that time, the beach was "evacuated" due to a shark sighting. Just wondering, what types of sharks that could lead to the beach being closed live in the area? Obviously the beach wouldn't be closed due to a port jackson or a wobbie.

 

[BacardiSpice]

G'day Daryl! (Rub it in that it was a good dive day....grrrrr!)

Could have been bronze whalers, hammerheads, or even tigers or bulls. I understand that dusky whalers are quite common around there.

 

[Vie]

Maybe someone caught a fleeting glimpse of a grey nurse and freaked out?

 

[Vie]

I went on a boat dive in Sydney last weekend. Another great day with Prodive.

Were you diving from a boat called "Sealife V" with captain Phil (Phillip Hawley)? Did 23 dives with them almost four years ago - really miss diving with those guys.

 

[Daryl Morse]

G'day Daryl! (Rub it in that it was a good dive day....grrrrr!)

Could have been bronze whalers, hammerheads, or even tigers or bulls. I understand that dusky whalers are quite common around there.

Hey, if I was really trying to rub it in, I would have also mentioned the octopus and the moray eel! (Did I say that?)

As for the type of shark, I'm not what you call easily frightened, but I'd prefer the tigers to be in some other ocean. I didn't think they ventured into waters that far south. Hmm...

 

[Daryl Morse]

Were you diving from a boat called "Sealife V" with captain Phil (Phillip Hawley)? Did 23 dives with them almost four years ago - really miss diving with those guys.

That's the boat and Phil is still the Skipper. They are a great bunch. I go diving with them every time I go to Sydney. Been out four times so far.

 

[Roz Amos]

White pointers are also pulled out of the waters around Sydney periodically. Dusky whalers seem to breed around the Manly area though (there are often a few smaller ones at some of the shore dives in the area). Groups of hammerheads have been seen close in a couple of hours south of Sydney over the last few weeks, so take your pick!

 

[BacardiSpice]

Hey, if I was really trying to rub it in, I would have also mentioned the octopus and the moray eel! (Did I say that?)

Pah!

Ah well...I'm out there weekend after next...

Hammerheads seem to cause a bit of a brouhaha on the beach when they're sighted - I think it's that lovely tall fin that makes them stand out a mile! Also, they seem to swim in lines parallel to the shore. The Duskies are nearly synonyomous with Manly, but I'd be surprised if no one worked out it was them.

There was a tiger hanging around a nearby beach weeks ago. A few folks have seen groups of bulls around Broken Bay lately (and they've been heading up Pittwater, or so rumour has it). Feb is the great sharkey month, although conditions this year don't seem to have been as favourable as in the past. Last year I spent hours swimming out the back, body surfing in gorgeous warm glassy water about 15 ft deep or so. Whole group of us. Lot of baitfish in the water jumping as the bonito were running, and at one point they raced right amongst us. 'It's what's chasing the bonito that worries me...' a bloke nearby muttered to me at one point.