East Head - Grey Nurse Shark Gutters

East Head drops into a large gutter that runs from east to west. The endangered Grey Nurse Shark inhabits these waters and the sloping kelp shelf creates a great viewing platform. Schooling fish such as the Striped Trumpeter and Mado provide a pretty backdrop. Keep an eye out for the shark detection device in deeper waters. It is a transmitter / receiver connected to a pole secured by a tyre filled with concrete. This records the number of Grey Nurse in the area for scientific study.

From the surface you can see where the wall starts. Head down the anchor line and into the gutter. You will notice the sharks tend to congregate in the deeper areas so keep to your left. There is a sloping wall covered in kelp which is a good observation point. At the western tip there is a cave and overhang. Schooling Bullseye, Roughy and Cuttlefish hide in the shallows. The overhang is in approximately 5 meters of water. On this dive you can also drop down to 18 – 20 meters back towards the boat. There is a large boulder and a lot of small round boulders on the ground. If you’re lucky you may find a shark tooth on the ocean floor.