Cave Dive - with Sharks!!!
May 9th 2008 03:44
For goodness sake. Get yourself to South West rocks and dive Fish Rock Cave, before it’s most famous residents – the endangered Grey Nurse Shark – disappear!
For those who don’t know, Fish Rock is a rock island about 100 meters long, that juts proudly from the sea just offshore of South West rocks in NSW. This is a critical habitat for the Grey Nurse Shark and they don’t fail to turn up in numbers. Some days you get more than others of course, but the sharks live here, so you’ll always see at least a couple.
The cave, for which this place is famous, has two openings – one at about 24 meters, the other at about 12 meters. Good dive planning would suggest starting the dive at the deepest point of the cave, but there are people who dive this cave in reverse. Either way, you are in for a treat.
Sharks swim in the gutters that surround the cave and the big blue groupers – whose amusement seems to be written on their faces – weave in and out of huge clouds of fish. Your descent down the mooring line will often see you encounter the patrolling Grey Nurses as you swim around the rock to the deep entrance.
Incidentally, there is no need to be afraid of the Grey Nurse Shark. This shark (though admittedly menacing looking) is a true pussycat and completely ill equipped to eat people. Let me explain. A Great White Shark has teeth which enable it to take bites of its prey – they are large, triangular and serrated – which is often fatal for people. Grey Nurse sharks on the other hand, have needle like teeth, which enable them to catch and hold slippery fish. They are not able to take ‘bites’ as such and need to swallow the fish whole. The Grey Nurse tends to eat fish like mullet, which are schooling, relatively small and easy to swallow.
Of course, those teeth can still inflict damage on a human hand or foot, if you wave them in their face!!
The other reason you need not fear this shark is that Grey Nurses are also very skittish. They tend to be frightened by the noise a SCUBA kit generates and sudden movements will have them bail in terror. I kid you not!! (When they are right next to you and suddenly take fright, they flick their tail and the resultant ‘crack’ and push of water is sometimes a bit startling!!)
Anyway, Fish Rock cave has resident schools of fish in both entrances and their silver bodies form a wall of reflectors as you enter the cave. The only light you see for the next 100 or so meters is from the torches of the divers in your group.
Mostly, this cave lies horizontally before you. There is one exception to this. A little way inside the entrance at the deep opening there is a vertical ascent of about 8 to 10 meters.
The cave shelters some surprisingly big creatures. We saw a humongous wobbegong, a doona sized ray and some lobsters whose shoes (I’m fairly sure) were bigger than mine!!!! The walls are dotted with slugs and sea stars and of course, there are the ever present fish.
The cave is only one facet of the great diving to be had in and around this rock.
Descend to the sea floor anywhere around here and even a casual glance will yield shark teeth. Grey Nurses lose a prodigious number of teeth and they litter the floor here. There are so many teeth you will tire of collecting them.
But it is not just sharks and their teeth that make this a great place to dive.
Green Island is on the way out to Fish Rock and this site is unbelievably beautiful and diverse. You will see small groups of squid and eels a plenty. There are rays everywhere.
This part of the world is awash with nudibranchs and lobster, as well as the occasional crab or frogfish and pipefish (more commonly seen at night).
There is not a bad dive site in this entire region. From shallow dives of about 10 meters, to 24 meters around the rock and the pinnacles, everywhere you dive is extraordinarily spectacular and unique.
Grey Nurses at Fish Rock
For those who don’t know, Fish Rock is a rock island about 100 meters long, that juts proudly from the sea just offshore of South West rocks in NSW. This is a critical habitat for the Grey Nurse Shark and they don’t fail to turn up in numbers. Some days you get more than others of course, but the sharks live here, so you’ll always see at least a couple.
The cave, for which this place is famous, has two openings – one at about 24 meters, the other at about 12 meters. Good dive planning would suggest starting the dive at the deepest point of the cave, but there are people who dive this cave in reverse. Either way, you are in for a treat.
Sharks in the gutters
Sharks swim in the gutters that surround the cave and the big blue groupers – whose amusement seems to be written on their faces – weave in and out of huge clouds of fish. Your descent down the mooring line will often see you encounter the patrolling Grey Nurses as you swim around the rock to the deep entrance.
A pussycat - only minus the collar and bell!!!
Incidentally, there is no need to be afraid of the Grey Nurse Shark. This shark (though admittedly menacing looking) is a true pussycat and completely ill equipped to eat people. Let me explain. A Great White Shark has teeth which enable it to take bites of its prey – they are large, triangular and serrated – which is often fatal for people. Grey Nurse sharks on the other hand, have needle like teeth, which enable them to catch and hold slippery fish. They are not able to take ‘bites’ as such and need to swallow the fish whole. The Grey Nurse tends to eat fish like mullet, which are schooling, relatively small and easy to swallow.
Of course, those teeth can still inflict damage on a human hand or foot, if you wave them in their face!!
Happy little vegemite
The other reason you need not fear this shark is that Grey Nurses are also very skittish. They tend to be frightened by the noise a SCUBA kit generates and sudden movements will have them bail in terror. I kid you not!! (When they are right next to you and suddenly take fright, they flick their tail and the resultant ‘crack’ and push of water is sometimes a bit startling!!)
Anyway, Fish Rock cave has resident schools of fish in both entrances and their silver bodies form a wall of reflectors as you enter the cave. The only light you see for the next 100 or so meters is from the torches of the divers in your group.
Mostly, this cave lies horizontally before you. There is one exception to this. A little way inside the entrance at the deep opening there is a vertical ascent of about 8 to 10 meters.
The cave shelters some surprisingly big creatures. We saw a humongous wobbegong, a doona sized ray and some lobsters whose shoes (I’m fairly sure) were bigger than mine!!!! The walls are dotted with slugs and sea stars and of course, there are the ever present fish.
Swimming from the dark cave into the light - good stuff!!
The cave is only one facet of the great diving to be had in and around this rock.
Descend to the sea floor anywhere around here and even a casual glance will yield shark teeth. Grey Nurses lose a prodigious number of teeth and they litter the floor here. There are so many teeth you will tire of collecting them.
But it is not just sharks and their teeth that make this a great place to dive.
Green Island is on the way out to Fish Rock and this site is unbelievably beautiful and diverse. You will see small groups of squid and eels a plenty. There are rays everywhere.
This part of the world is awash with nudibranchs and lobster, as well as the occasional crab or frogfish and pipefish (more commonly seen at night).
Ok so, the subject is not in the middle of the shot!!
There is not a bad dive site in this entire region. From shallow dives of about 10 meters, to 24 meters around the rock and the pinnacles, everywhere you dive is extraordinarily spectacular and unique.
Fish Rock
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Comment by Louie
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
I used to go to South West Rocks as a kid but have never dived there. The only cave's I have dived in were fresh water caves in Mexico and there is no marine life in most parts of the cave which was a bit disappointing, this cave looks spectacular.
cheers
Louie
Comment by Kim L
Diving About
Yeah it is a really great place to dive..
I've never been freshwater diving... that would be super cool aswell...
How did your dive go the other week?? Manage to avoid boogers???
Kim