Sevengill Shark

Photo: Dimitris Salas · © all rights reserved

The broadnose sevengill shark is one of the signature species of False Bay's kelp ecosystem, a large, slow-moving predator that patrols the reef bottom in water as shallow as 5 metres. Unlike most shark species, sevengills do not flee from divers and will approach closely out of curiosity, their seven distinctive gill slits and broad heads making them unmistakable. Their presence in shallow, accessible water makes Miller's Point one of the few places in the world where open-water divers can reliably observe this ancient shark family at close range.