Lake Macquarie shark encounters are the stuff of legend, but few if any have occurred in less than half a metre of water.
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Wangi resident Robyn Reid and her friend were strolling along the foreshore at Eraring Point last Wednesday morning when they heard a loud splash behind them.
They missed whatever caused the commotion but then they spotted a small but unmistakable shark fin protruding from the water in front of them.
A closer look revealed a 1.2metre juvenile dusky whaler resting in about half a metre of water.
"At first we thought it was stuck or maybe sick but then after a bit it darted across into some weeds," she said.
Ms Reid said she had seen many interesting things in and around the lake but the sight of a shark in ankle deep water was certainly a first.
"It was an amazing experience. We could have walked up it but we didn't. You could actually see it's eyes looking around," she said.
Department of Primary Industries confirmed the shark was a dusky whaler, which tends to favour warmer temperate waters.
Marks Point Fisherman's Warehouse owner Jason Nunn said he was not surprised to hear of the encounter given the proximity to the power station outlets.
"We have had plenty of whaler and hammerhead sightings near the power stations in recent times," he said.
"They are creatures of habit and will come back to wherever they have had a good feed previously."
"It's really a testament to the overall health of the lake."
The Department of Primary Industries told the Newcastle Herald earlier this year that the recent rise in the number of recorded shark sightings in the lake did not necessarily represent an increased population.
There were five recorded shark sightings in Lake Macquarie in December 2023, according to data from community-based shark reporting and alert organisation Dorsal. The figure was up from a total of five across the previous three months combined, and two in December 2022.
A bull shark estimated to be two metres long was seen near Pulbah Island on New Year's Eve, after a 2.5 metre hammerhead was observed near Murrays Beach on December 28.
Another hammerhead - this one believed to be 1.5 metres long - was found north of Belmont on December 19 following the sighting of a 3.5 metre bull shark on the western side of the lake on December 5.
A Department of Primary Industries (DPI) spokesperson said there were "no indications of greater numbers of sharks in the Lake Macquarie region".
"Sharks are present in Lake Macquarie at all times of the year," the spokesperson said.
"Typically, these consist of a variety of sharks such as hammerheads, wobbegongs and small whalers, but also white sharks between May and December and bull sharks between December and May."
Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
