Date achieved:
Thursday 25th April 2019
Where?
Off the coast of Byron Bay at Julian Rocks
Why is this experience on the Challenge List?
Swimming with sharks doesn’t it just sound mysterious and wonderful all at the same time?
Description:
I booked the tour through a local travel agent in Byron Bay for the following day as I had some spare time. Upon getting up early we drove to Brunswick Heads where we suited up in our swimming gear. Then we crossed the distance to Julian Rocks via boat and after a short discussion and budding up into pairs we made the plunge into the cold water. Below is what we saw.
The water was crystal blue and shining from the sun shining above, it really was a sight to behold! There was so much alive around us, with the schools of fish and coral it was amazing. We kept swimming to see what else we could discover and after about 30mins someone yelled out that they spotted a shark. At first, I couldn’t see it but then the Leopard Shark came into view and there wasn’t just one, I could actually see more. By the end of the snorkelling trip, I had counted 14 Leopard Sharks, some of these I could have counted more than once but even so, there was quite a few. I felt quite privileged to have been able to witness the Leopard Shark in their natural environment.
VIDEO
Would I do it again?
Absolutely it was a spontaneously, unplanned adventure and I am grateful that it happened. I would love to do some more snorkelling with other sea creatures as well such as rays, turtles and whales.
Highlight:
A highlight for me was that they were so close, they were underneath us at the bottom of the oceans floor and the sharks were able to keep swimming as if we were not even there which made it all that more extraordinary that we were able to watch them from the surface of the water. As being able to watch sharks in their natural environment where they are free to roam the depths of the ocean.
Cost:
It was $109 for the tour, everything was included in the tour and it went for around two hours.
Further information:
I would highly recommend if you want to swim with sharks in their natural environment to go through Wild Byron, they were absolutely fantastic tour operators to travel with. Keep in mind, that if you do choose to go with Wild Byron you may not see the Leopard Sharks as I did due to many dependent factors but there is plenty of other marine wildlife that can be seen such as; whales, dolphins, manta rays, turtles and of course fish.
Consider this, sharks are misunderstood creatures of the ocean and they are naturally shy. Sharks have actually outlived the dinosaurs and the earliest fossils have been dated back as far as 400 million years. They are so crucial to the marine ecosystem and it is vital to raise awareness for this incredible animal. If you would like to read more about shark conservation you can at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as they have facts, reasons why sharks are so important, what threats they face, what the WWF is doing to help sharks and information about how you can help the sharks.
Something else to consider is that it would be better to see a shark in its natural environment by accident than having it baited to come to you, it feels more surreal and natural to see them like that.