Grey Nurse Shark
Despite its fearsome appearance and rows of sharp teeth, the grey nurse shark offers no threat to humans and is in fact a superbly-adapted fish-eater, usually swallowing its prey whole.
Grey Nurse Shark
Our shark oceanarium recreates natural conditions as far as possible, but sometimes you need to compromise - so the other fish are either ones the sharks won't eat, or ones that can easily hide!
There are five Grey Nurse Sharks in the oceanarium: three females called Josephine, Mary-Lou and Ralph (yes, it's a male name, but she's definitely a girl) and two males, Napoleon and Nelson. There are also a number of other sharks, including large Sicklefin Lemon Sharks, various species of wobbegong, White Tip Reef Sharks, Black Tip Reef Sharks and Port Jackson sharks. Sydney Aquarium's shark breeding program has been very successful, and many sharks bred here have been returned to the wild.
The Grey Nurse Shark's numbers declined sharply in the 1960s and 1970s and, in 1984, they became the first shark in the world to be awarded protected status. However, they're sometimes still caught by accident in shark nets and by fishermen and, because they're slow growing, their numbers have yet to recover. Sydney Aquarium supports conservation measures to protect these fish, such as the establishment of marine parks where fishing is prohibited.
Sharks have their own inbuilt dentist - they can rapidly grow back teeth if their gnashers become worn or damaged. Their skin is also amazing - it's not made of scales but of denticles, which means 'tiny teeth'.
The oceanarium's sharks are fed by divers several times a week on their favourite diet of fish. Feeding times are displayed at Sydney Aquarium entrance. Come along and see these majestic creatures do what they do best.
For the experience of a lifetime, dive with Grey Nurse Sharks at Oceanworld Manly, on Sydney's northern beaches!