18th June 2025- Grey Nurse Shark Party

Nothing like a midweek break! We saw an opportunity to take a break from the work week to head out for a dive, so we took it! SoWild packed up with a crew of keen divers and headed out to South Solitary for a double dive. On our way out, we were welcomed with an abundance of Humpback Whales on their migration North!

First up, divers jumped in at Manta Arch. Half of us cruised around the Arch and the Back gutter whilst the other half went to the other side of the Gap for some surveying! We were blown away with the amount of Grey Nurse Shark’s on this side of the island! In total, divers saw around 40+, mostly male, Grey Nurse’s! It is the time of year where the water temperature starts to drop and we are lucky enough to see these guys in larger numbers! Other marine creatures seen on our first dive were Green Turtles, Semi-circle Angelfish, and some Moray Eels!

After warming up on our surface interval, we all jumped in again for a swim around the top end of the island. Shark Gutters was beautiful, with four Spotted Eagle Rays, Spanish Dancers, Wide Banded Anemone Fish, and even a Queensland Groper! Around the corner at Cleaner Station there was heaps of schooling fish, Fire Goby’s, Nudibranchs, two massive squid, and a lionfish! There were also half a dozen Grey Nurse Sharks on Boulder Wall!

Conditions Report

Visibility: 15-20 metres

Temperature: 20-21°C