Dive with marine life · 2026 guide

Where to Dive with Grey Nurse Sharks in Australia

Australia's most recognisable dive shark — ragged teeth, entirely harmless, and critically endangered on the east coast.

Present year-round at the main aggregation sites, with numbers building through the cooler months. Pregnant females are associated with specific sites such as Wolf Rock from roughly June to November.

These 10 sites are where grey nurse shark encounters are best documented, with the operators who dive them.

Tasselled wobbegong resting camouflaged on a rocky reef

Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli)

Byron Bay, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~15 m typical, 25 m maxBoat divereef · island

Where tropical and temperate waters meet — more than 20 shark and ray species recorded.

The ecological importance of the site comes from the meeting of tropical and temperate influences. Warm water arriving on the East Australian Current mixes with cooler temperate water, and species from both systems occur here together.

Look for: Green Turtle, Grey Nurse Shark, Humpback Whale, Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)

Who takes you there Sundive Byron Bay Byron Bay Dive Centre

Blue Bay Divers

Full Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli) guide →

Green sea turtle swimming above a sunlit coral reef

Wolf Rock

Rainbow Beach & Wolf Rock, Queensland

Advanced · 18–25 m~25 m typical, 35 m maxBoat divereef

An offshore volcanic pinnacle and one of the few known aggregation sites for pregnant grey nurse sharks.

The site is particularly associated with grey nurse sharks and large rays. It is one of the few known aggregation sites for pregnant female grey nurse sharks, which gives it genuine conservation significance.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark, Humpback Whale, Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark), Manta Ray

Who takes you there

Wolf Rock Dive Centre

Full Wolf Rock guide →

Grey nurse sharks cruising calmly beside a rocky reef

Fish Rock

South West Rocks, New South Wales

Advanced · 18–25 m~20 m typical, 30 m maxBoat divereef · cave

Grey nurse shark aggregation and one of Australia's few genuine ocean through-caves.

The cave has a deeper entrance around 24 metres and rises internally toward shallower water before reaching the opposite side. That makes it a genuine through-cave rather than a cavern, which is unusual in an ocean setting.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark, Wobbegong

Who takes you there

South West Rocks Dive Centre

Fish Rock Dive Centre

Full Fish Rock guide →

Scuba diver and green sea turtle above a tropical coral reef

Cook Island

Gold Coast, Queensland

Open Water · ≤18 m~14 m typical, 20 m maxBoat diveisland · reef

An aquatic reserve off Tweed Heads with a resident turtle population and seasonal grey nurse sharks.

The protected status has produced habituated marine life, and divers regularly encounter multiple turtles on a single dive.

Look for: Green Turtle, Grey Nurse Shark, Humpback Whale, Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)

Who takes you there Gold Coast Dive Centre Gold Coast Dive Adventures

Full Cook Island guide →

Flat Rock

North Stradbroke Island, Queensland

Advanced · 18–25 m~20 m typical, 30 m maxBoat divereef

Southeast Queensland's premier big-animal site — grey nurse sharks, mantas and turtles.

A gutter on the rock's northern side is a recognised grey nurse shark aggregation area in the cooler months, while manta rays arrive through summer.

Look for: Green Turtle, Grey Nurse Shark, Humpback Whale, Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)

Who takes you there

Manta Lodge & Scuba Centre

Full Flat Rock guide →

Colourful nudibranch on a sponge garden with a diver behind

Exmouth Navy Pier

Ningaloo & Exmouth, Western Australia

Open Water · ≤18 m~10 m typical, 15 m maxShore divepier

A structure dive with extraordinary fish density, on Defence land with controlled access.

The structure supports an extraordinary density of fish — grey nurse sharks, wobbegongs, giant groupers and vast schools crowded into a comparatively small area.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark, Nudibranchs, Queensland Groper, Wobbegong

Who takes you there Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo Dive Ningaloo

Full Exmouth Navy Pier guide →

North Solitary Island

Coffs Harbour & the Solitary Islands, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~18 m typical, 30 m maxBoat diveisland · reef

Extensive anemone beds and the strongest tropical influence in the Solitary Islands Marine Park.

Visit NSW particularly highlights extensive anemone beds and soft corals here — anemone city is one of the site's signature features, with dense fields of anemones and their resident clownfish.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark, Manta Ray

Who takes you there

Jetty Dive Centre

Wooli Dive Centre

Full North Solitary Island guide →

Broughton Island

Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~18 m typical, 30 m maxBoat diveisland · reef

Offshore island diving from Port Stephens, with grey nurse sharks at Looking Glass.

Looking Glass, a narrow gutter cutting through the island, is a recognised grey nurse shark aggregation site and the region's most sought-after dive.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark

Who takes you there Feet First Dive Grey Nurse Charters

Full Broughton Island guide →

South Solitary Island

Coffs Harbour & the Solitary Islands, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~18 m typical, 30 m maxBoat diveisland · reef

The most-dived of the Solitary Islands, with a grey nurse shark gutter and a lighthouse above.

Manta Arch and the Boulder Wall are among its best-known features, and a gutter on the island's flank holds grey nurse sharks through the cooler months.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark, Wobbegong

Who takes you there

Jetty Dive Centre

Full South Solitary Island guide →

Dwarf minke whale cruising in clear blue water near distant scuba divers

Nine Mile Reef

Gold Coast, Queensland

Advanced · 18–25 m~22 m typical, 30 m maxBoat divereef

An offshore reef system off Tweed Heads with grey nurse sharks and pelagic activity.

Grey nurse sharks aggregate here seasonally, and the reef's position attracts pelagic activity that inshore sites rarely produce.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark

Who takes you there Gold Coast Dive Adventures

Full Nine Mile Reef guide →

Questions about this list

How is this list ranked?

Sites are chosen from our dive-site database and ordered by how well documented they are: flagship status, the number of operators we have confirmed dive there, and the marine life recorded. Nobody pays to be listed.

Can a business pay to appear here?

No. Listings and order come from our research only. Businesses can ask us to correct their details, but not to change their position.

How current is this guide?

It is generated from the directory's latest research, checked in 2026. Conditions, operators and seasons change — confirm details with the operator before you book.

All best-of guides →

Questions about this list

More best-of guides