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Thinking of doing a dive in Port Stephens.
Shark Dive facts:
Location : Broughton Island
Dive Shop: Let’s Go Adventures, Nelson Bay.
Shark Species: Grey nurse
Depth: 20 metres maximum
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Location: Broughton Island
The island lies 14 km north east of Port Stephens and is part of the Myall Lakes National Park.
Day tours drop visitors off on the island where they can explore before heading back toward Nelson Bay. It is a popular spot for swimming, snorkeling and camping. Dolphin tours operate during the summer months and whale tours during winter.
Note: this post is told by Scuba Traveler (aka: my travel buddy).
Dive Conditions and preparations
It takes around 1 hour to reach the location for the first of two dives.
Our group of around twelve were given a quick brief on dive site conditions, environment and of course the shark species.
Gear on and we were pumped and ready to go.
We descended in two groups with each group having their own diving buddy and an instructor. The water temperature at the surface was 23 degrees but dropped by at least three degrees after a couple of metres down. Everyone had 5 ml long sleeve wet suits.
If you think this is not enough for your needs, you can grab a long sleeve thermal top from the dive shop before heading out.
Looking Glass Dive Site
There are two dive sites here, the channel swim and the outer wall. It is here in the channel where the grey nurse sharks are mostly spotted.
The two towering rock formations create a natural channel of arch ways which were easy enough to navigate. Visibility was a little poor on this day but probably no better than any other day. Water is constantly surging through this small passageway.
Grey Nurse Encounter
Once we reach the arch which took around three minutes, the sharks came into view.
Whilst the grey nurse shark is not a threat to swimmers or divers, they do not like sudden movement. For this reason we were told not to approach them and instead let them explore their own curiosities.
I counted up to 14 sharks, an absolute thrill. Though not my first shark dive experience, I had never seen this many in one hit. They approached slowly and stayed for the entire dive which took fifty minutes.
Back on board and our group was full of excitement. For many it was their first encounter and one they’ll probably never forget. I, myself was pretty excited to dive Port Stephens waters as it was an unexpected thrill.
Overall rating
Conditions : 5/10
We had to constantly be aware of the surge taking us back and fourth in close proximity to the rock wall. The water temperature was not overly comfortable and visibility was not ideal.
Dive experience : 10/10
Seeing this many sharks within arm’s reach is a divers dream. I was lucky enough to get some stunning shots with little effort.
Thanks to Let’s Go Adventures dive shop in Nelson Bay.
Nelson Bay and the surrounding beach side towns have a range of hotel, camp and resorts to choose.
