An incredible image captured from a tour boat on the Australian coast highlights just how spectacular and cruel nature can be, with the swift rise and fall of our tides catching out even the most skilled swimmers.
Tour company Coral Expeditions operates in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, and the crew were steering 110 guests through Montgomery Reef when they spotted something exposed on the reef. A tawny nurse shark was stranded after being caught out by the fast-moving tides, with the reef boasting the second-largest tidal movements in the world.
“The tidal movements in the area can be as high as 11 metres… from the reef being invisible to fully visible in about two hours,” Jeff Gillies from Coral Expeditions told Yahoo News.
“Lots of sea life end up in those pools, and that’s what happened with the tawny nurse shark, but [it] is definitely not a common occurrence.”
There is a vast array of marine wildlife in the Kimberley with crews frequently spotting rays, turtles and even the odd crocodile in the waters, but this is the first time such a large marine animal has been spotted in the situation.
According to Jeff, it was the first reporting of a tawny nurse shark being stranded by the reef in the eight years he’s worked with the company.
“Stranded and fully exposed, the sight offered a rare and striking reminder of the ocean’s power and the challenges marine life face in such a dynamic environment,” Coral Expeditions wrote online.
It’s hoped the tawny nurse shark ‘shimmied’ off the reef by itself. Source: Facebook/Coral Expeditions
Why does Montgomery Reef have such extreme tides?
Montgomery Reef, covering an expanse of 400 square kilometres, experiences strong currents due to its unique shape and the overall region’s large tidal range.
The reef is situated on a wide continental shelf which allows the tidal wave to grow and spread larger as it approaches the coastline, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The surrounding coastline, combined with where the reef is situated, creates a funnel shape, and this narrowing further concentrates the flow of the water as it enters the area, speeding up the process.
Crews ‘let nature do its thing’ despite sad reality
Despite admitting it was a sad scene, Jeff explained crews don’t intervene if they spot wildlife stranded on the reef, ensuring nature can take its course.
“We can’t exit the vessels in terms of our permits. You just let nature do its thing,” he said.
It’s unclear what happened to the tawny nurse shark, with marine biologists who were on board the ship at the time telling Jeff the shark may have made it to the rock pool or “shimmied” until he got off the reef.
The species is widespread throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but there is currently no specific population estimate available, according to the federal government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
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