Sarah Ratu’s regular trek south from her north Brisbane home to Forster Tuncurry is always full of happy and unforgettable memories
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But, this summer’s annual holidays has been a special occasion for Sarah and her family after spotting what they believed was a juvenile grey nurse shark on a number of occasions.
While Sarah didn’t get confirmation of its breed, she was sure the little shark – which was about two metres long – was indeed a grey nurse.
“It’s definitely a grey nurse there are heaps in the area around the rocks and it looked like a baby,” she said.
The shark was first spotted by her sister, Jess Barraclough hanging around the Forster breakwall near the fish cleaning table.
Sarah and her four-year-old daughter returned to the same spot a week later, and the shark was there, in its ‘regular’ position, gliding along the rocks.
“It would drift out to the channel and then glide back upstream against the rocks; I guess it was getting food,” Sarah said.
“Beautiful to watch.”
While Sarah has sighted hammerhead sharks in the channel under the Forster Tuncurry bridge on a number of occasions the sight of the little great nurse shark just captured her attention and heart.
And, of course, she wasn’t at all surprised to see the shark hanging around the area near the fish cleaning table.
“They are incredible animals.”
While Sarah has moved away from her Tuncurry home, she returns every Christmas holidays, and whenever she gets a chance to visit her family and renew her love for the area.
“It’s a beautiful spot to bring the family back to.
Sarah said she loved the Great Lakes because everything was based around being outdoors.
Tuncurry is still a pretty quiet town and the water is always so clean, she said.