SHARK WEEK: The Grey Nurse

It's Shark Week! So I'd like to take the time to share some interesting facts about one of my favourite animals: sharks!
I will be sharing three shark posts this week focusing on three different shark species. I absolutely love sharks but hate the sensationalism that gets thrown around about them. So, here I am to tone it down a bit and show you that sharks aren't crazed man-eaters that the media wants us to believe.

Today I'll start by introducing the Grey Nurse Shark, aka the sand tiger shark, aka the ragged-tooth shark, aka Carcharias taurus. But whatever you know it as this shark is a beauty! This species may look menacing with its sharp teeth and torpedo-like body but in reality they are a pretty calm species of shark. So calm in fact that dive companies will take you scuba diving with them without a cage. And as long as you give them their space and respect they really couldn't care less that you're there.

The grey nurse shark became the first protected shark in the world in 1984 when the NSW Government in Australia declared it a protected species. In NSW it is still listed as Critically Endangered and globally it is listen as vulnerable under the IUCN Redlist.
Until recently this shark was believed to be the cause of many shark/swimmer incidences in Australia, mainly due to its menacing appearance. This reputation led to indiscriminate killing.
Current threats to the species include bycatch and the bather "protection" program currently run by the NSW and QLD Governments. Long story short, the bather protection program does nothing but indiscriminately kill sharks and other marine sea creatures, such as whales, dolphins, turtles, and sealions.

While studying Marine Science at university I worked with Grey Nurse Shark Watch (GNSW) as a volunteer. GNSW is a citizen science research and monitoring program that aims to improve conservation management of the grey nurse shark. They use photo and video obtained from recreational divers to help individually identify grey nurse sharks by using the individual spot pattern on their bodies. This helps to determine shark movements and determine the best strategies to protect them.

Grey nurse sharks are one of my favourite species of shark. We have been diving with them on over 100 occasions on both the east and west coasts of Australia and it has always been a privilege. I will forever be in absolute awe of them.

Interesting facts:

• In 1984 Australia became the first country to the grey nurse shark. On this date it also became the worlds first protected shark species.
• Grey Nurse don't have swim bladders to help keep them buoyant in the water so they surface and gulp air into their stomachs.

_{Information for this post was obtained from environment.gov.au and Reef Check Australia}

_{All the photos in this post were taken near our hometown on the New South Wales Mid-North Coast where we would SCUBA dive almost every weekend}

_{All images in this post were taken by and remain the Copyright of Ryan Sault unless stated otherwise. You can see more photos at:
website: https://saultphotography.com/
Instagram: @roaming.rammie}