BIG ANIMALS AND LITTTLE CRITTERS
AUSTRALIA
Neptune Islands
By DANIEL NORWOOD
Coming face to face with the ocean’s most maligned and
intimidating fish, the great white shark, is near the top of every
diver’s bucket list, and the Neptune Islands in South Australia are one
of only three locations around the world that offer reliable encounters
with these amazing apex predators. Shark eco-tourism was born here
over 40 years ago when famous shark attack survivor Rodney Fox designed
and built the first-ever protective cage in an effort to better understand the
animals that very nearly ended his life. Today, these surface cages allow anyone
to get in the water to see the sharks, while certified divers can experience the thrill
of an exclusive submersible cage that is lowered 25 metres below the boat where
animals patrol the reef system surrounding the islands.
These reefs are also home to huge schools of fish and rays and the islands serve
as a nursing ground for thousands of New Zealand fur seals and Australian sea lions.
This abundance of prey is why the sharks are here and why the Neptune Islands remain
one of the best places in the world to get up close to the magnificent Carcharodon carcharias.