DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA FEB 2025 ISSUE 410

Grey Reef sharks are interested in eating fish. As with all sharks, when you see them they are marking their territory so that you know that this patch of real estate belongs to them!

this behaviour from a seven-foot-long Tawny Nurse shark, a four foot long Black Tip Reef shark, a four-foot Grey Reef Shark, White Tip Reef shark and a six foot wide Spotted Eagle Ray. The Ray was by far the largest Eagle Ray I have ever seen. The Pygmy Ornate Wobbegong was hiding in a narrow rock crevice but it stared me down with the fixated gaze of a fifth DAN karate master as they do. Your behaviour will determine how these territorial shark encounters progress. When you stare into the shark’s eyes, and display confidence, the shark will keep its distance. The absolute worst thing to do is to bleed underwater and or to panic and swim erratically making a lot of noise. Remaining calm and eyeballing the shark tells the shark that it should maintain caution.

Sharks are tuned into thrashing noisy fish that are in distress and it makes them very excited. You always need to think streamlined and stay calm.

Agonistic behaviour of sharks It is important to understand the threat behaviour of sharks. It is as easy to see in a rooster or a Rottweiler dog as it is in sharks. Dogs and roosters give clear signals so that you are in no doubt at what they are trying to tell you. Dogs raise their ‘hackles’, bare their teeth, growl, lower their head and take a strong stance of power. Finally, they attack unless you somehow take control of the situation.

Grey Nurse shark nursery

DIVE LOG Australasia #410 - February ‘25 46

www.divelog.net.au