COOK ISLAND LEOPARD HUNT

Each summer one of the Gold Coast’s most popular dive sites, Cook Island , is invaded by one of the most beautiful sharks in the ocean, the leopard shark. Dozens of these harmless and wonderfully pattern sharks gather around the island and add a little extra spice to what is already a brilliant dive site.
    Over the years we have enjoyed many memorable encounters with leopard sharks at Cook Island and look forward to their arrival each summer. The leopard sharks love warm water, so only make an appearance once the water is 23C degrees or warmer, and will usually disappear if the temperature drops below this figure. Over winter they disappear to parts unknown, another mystery of the sea.
    Over the last few years we have been very unlucky with the leopards at Cook Island , and have missed them on every summer dive, with the water either being too cool, or the leopards just not around. We have still had plenty of great dives as the marine life around Cook Island is always amazing, with the rocky reefs around the island protected as a Marine Sanctuary.
    Booking a dive in January with local dive operator, Ocean Dive, the first thing we asked Chris Mair, the owner/operator of Ocean Dive, were the leopards in? Chris informed us that the leopard sharks had arrived, but the water temperature has been changing daily, from 18C to 24C degrees, well below the normal summer water temperature of 26C degrees.
    With a strong southerly forecast to come up the coast mid-morning, Chris organised an early dive trip, departing from the Tweed River at 7am. Chris has been running dive charters to the best dive sites off the Gold Coast and Tweed Heads for over twenty years, and operates a 8.4m fisher mono-hull surveyed for ten divers. The boat is basic, but comfortable, and well setup for diving, quickly getting divers to the best dive sites in the area.
    After loading the gear we had a smooth run down the Tweed River and over the bar and soon found ourselves off the northern end of Cook Island . The weather was not the best, a grey overcast day, but at least the seas weren’t rough, this allowed Chris to tie up to the mooring at ‘The Caves’.
    Once in the water, signs for finding a leopard shark were not good, the water was a cool 19C degrees, and the visibility was below average at 12m. We set off to explore the caves, gutters and ledges that riddle the reef at this site in depths from 12m to 18m. We quickly found a dozen spotted wobbegongs lazing in the caves and out in the open. Also in the caves were schools of bullseyes, red morwong and stripeys.
    As we explored the reef we found a nice coverage of hard and soft corals, plus some big sponges, and also abundant reef fish. A good selection of invertebrate species were in residence, especially nudibranchs, featherstars, hermit crabs, shrimps and sea stars, including a huge species a metre wide that we hadn’t seen before.
    Several blue gropers followed us during the dive and we ran into a large black-blotched stingray and two green turtles. Leopard sharks are usually common at this site, especially around the sand patches, but none today in this cool water. Instead we found two peacock soles darting about in the sand. We finished the dive on a shallow bommie that was covered in soft corals and reef fish. Back on the boat the other divers reported seeing a leopard shark only 15m in front of the boat. Looks like our run of bad luck with the leopards was continuing.
    After changing tanks and enjoying a hot drink and snacks, Chris moved the boat over to the ‘Northern Ledge’, the best site to see leopard sharks over summer. On a good day here you can see up to twenty leopard sharks, and Chris informed us that there were a dozen here just days ago.
    Back in the water we resumed our hunt for leopards, exploring the sandy and rocky bottom in depths from 9m to 12m. The water was a little warmer here at 21C degrees, so we were hoping our luck many have changed. Crossing the sand we found dozens of blue spotted stingrays, several large white-spotted shovelnose rays and plenty of fish; bream, blue gropers, goatfish, flatheads, sweetlips, morwong and a school of kingfish to name a few.
    Small bommies and rocks protrude from the sand and are a good place to find critters at this site. In the past we have found leaf scorpionfish, velvetfish, pipefish and even a sad seahorse. Today the critter find was two lovely robust ghost pipefish. These exquisite fish sidetracked us for a while, but we were still hoping to find a leopard shark.
    After almost forty minutes of searching the sand without success, we realised that it was to be no leopards again today. We headed back to the rocky reef to follow it back to the boat. These rocks are covered in coral and home to a wide range of species. We had only been on the wall for a few minutes when we saw a long spotted tail, a 3m long leopard shark sitting at the base of the wall ahead.
    Now some leopard sharks are completely unconcerned by divers, while others are extremely shy, and this was a shy one. As soon as we got close to the leopard it took off and swam over the reef. Well at least we had seen one.
    We continued along the wall, finding moray eels, crayfish, nudibranchs, shrimps, ornate wobbies, surgeonfish, rock cod, sweetlips and many other species. Then we stumbled across another leopard shark. This one wasn’t as shy, allowing a few images before it also decided to swim off. We ended the dive in the shallows, where five green turtles were drifting about us – a great way to end a wonderful and successful leopard hunt.
    Leopard sharks are in residence at Cook Island from November to April, if the water temperature is warm enough, but even if you don’t encounter a leopard shark there is plenty of other marine life around this wonderful island to keep any diver entertained.

Article appeared in Dive Log No.252 July 2009