Big Seal Rock is the larger of the two islands east of the Seal Rock’s
lighthouse.
There are actually four different dive sites here:
1.The grotto, depth 12 to 23 metres. Aggregations of up to forty Grey Nurse Sharks jam the grotto and gutters. This is a great spot for underwater photography as the nurses are often positioned above the divers. A huge loggerhead turtle has his home here.
2.The Wall, depth 4 to 45 metres. This is a sheer wall that lies a little to
the east of the Big Rock. There is a shelf of rock at 24 to27 metres that juts
out from The Wall before it plummets to a boulder strewn sandy bottom. The Wall
can only be dived in calm seas with no current, and when these conditions are
available, this is a fantastic wall dive. Soft corals adorn the sheer wall;
the coral garden bowl is an inset in the wall and the place to finish your dive
allowing divers a beautiful area for ascent up past the soft corals.
3.The Fish Bowl, there is a series of rock shelfs that jut out from the island,
the depth on the shelfs is 8, 15 and 20 metres with the boulders on the sandy
bottom at 35 metres. Grey Nurse and Port Jackson Sharks are often seen here,
Bronze Whaler Sharks cruise the wall as do huge yellowtail kingfish.
4.The Cavern or western gutter is a very shallow dive, 8 to 12 metres. The gutter
here is only 6 metres wide and this amazing dive site can be packed with up
to 40 Grey Nurse Sharks at a time. This is the perfect spot for underwater photography
of the Grey Nurses, as they will come within touching distance of divers. This
is a highly controlled dive site, no more than six divers at a time in the gutter,
and all divers must be against the sides of the gutter so as not to disturb
or frighten the sharks. The diving just outside the western gutter is also very
good; schools of big yellowtail kingfish will swoop in and feed on the baitfishes
that congregate here.
The Cavern in the western gutter is one of the most important areas in Australia for Grey Nurse Sharks breeding. The recovery plan for the nurses recognises this and the area will be declared a marine sanctuary for their continuing protection. Conservation