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ISRA FACTSHEETS

AUSTRALIA AND SOUTHEAST INDIAN OCEAN

ISRA FACTSHEETS

AUSTRALIA AND SOUTHEAST INDIAN OCEAN

Magic Point ISRA

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Magic Point ISRA

Magic Point

Summary

Magic Point is located on the central coast of New South Wales, Australia. The area is situated off Maroubra in Sydney and consists of a rocky wall leading to cave structures, boulders, and rocky structures. The area is subject to semi-diurnal tides and is influenced by seasonal fluctuations in the East Australian Current. Within this area there are: threatened species and resting areas (Sand Tiger Shark Carcharias taurus).

Magic Point

Magic Point

DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT

Magic Point is located on the central coast of New South Wales, Australia. The area is situated off Maroubra in Sydney and is a popular dive site. The dive site itself consists of a rocky wall descending to depths of 15 m, leading to cave structures (PADI 2025). The seafloor is covered with small boulders and rock formations, with sandy substrates starting at depths of ~24 m (PADI 2025). The area is exposed to wave action and swells (Expedition Dive 2025), and subject to semi-diurnal tides.

Magic Point is influenced by the East Australian Current (EAC), the poleward flowing western boundary current of the South Pacific Gyre (Suthers et al. 2011). The EAC flow is strongest in the austral summer, and the formation of eddies along this coastline also fluctuates seasonally (Ridgway & Hill 2009).

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthic and pelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 25 m based on the bathymetry of the area.

CRITERION A

VULNERABILITY

One Qualifying Species considered threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species regularly occurs in the area. This is the Critically Endangered Sand Tiger Shark (Rigby et al. 2025).

CRITERION C

SUB-CRITERION C3 – RESTING AREAS

Magic Point is an important resting area for one shark species.

There are multiple lines of evidence to support Sand Tiger Sharks regularly and predictably using Magic Island for resting. Evidence includes scientific surveys and acoustic tracking conducted by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Bradford et al. 2025; Otway & Louden 2025) and submissions and observations from a citizen science photo-identification catalogue (Sharkbook 2025).

Between 2011–2021, 10-year acoustic transmitters were used to track sharks and determine their preferred habitats based on residency rates (Otway & Louden 2025), and this information was used alongside scientific dive surveys to determine aggregation sites. Nineteen Sand Tiger Shark aggregation sites were highlighted in eastern Australia (Bradford et al. 2025). These were defined as a site where five or more Sand Tiger Sharks are observed aggregating either continuously or on a predictable seasonal cycle, and all were classified as resting areas for the species based on shark behaviour and habitat use at the sites. Sand Tiger Sharks were observed at Magic Point year-round. Between 2011–2021, 16 of the 31 tagged individuals were detected in the area (1,019 detections; Bradford et al. 2025). Observed residence periods lasted up to five days (Otway & Louden 2025). Adult males were most prevalent from late spring to early winter and absent during the annual northerly migration to Queensland waters (Bradford et al. 2025). Sand Tiger Sharks were observed swimming slowly close to the seabed, characteristic resting behaviour, at a mean depth of 18.0 m at Magic Point (range: 11.8–23.7 m; Bradford et al. 2025). They exhibited diurnal habitat use at this site, spending more time in the area during the day (Otway & Louden 2025).

The diel patterns in behaviour that the sharks exhibit at these sites is characteristic of Sand Tiger Sharks resting during the day and being active at night (presumably for foraging) (D Harasti pers. obs. 2025). Hovering and milling are also characteristic behaviours of resting Sand Tiger Sharks and comprise the majority of swimming behaviours observed at their main aggregation sites on Australia’s east coast (Smith et al. 2015). When hovering, sharks face into the water current and their tail beats allow them to maintain a stationary position, whereas milling involves slow movements and directional changes generally confined to a particular area within a gutter (Smith et al. 2015).

Between 2000–2025, 4,419 Sand Tiger Shark sightings were submitted from citizen scientists in the area (Spot a Shark unpubl. data 2025). From these sightings, 148 individuals were identified using photo-identification, with many individuals observed over multiple years (some >10 years). Sightings of Sand Tiger Sharks were year-round at Magic Point, with a seasonal peak between March and May. Recreational divers report a range of 2–33 resting individuals per dive (S Han-de-Beaux unpubl. data 2025). Most of the sharks were assessed as adults (80%) with higher numbers of males than females (1.4:1) (S Han-de-Beaux unpubl. data 2025). Sand Tiger Sharks are observed swimming slowly between the gullies and caves in the area, characteristic resting behaviour for the species (PADI 2025). Scientific surveys recorded up to 20 Sand Tiger Sharks resting in the area on a single dive (B Louden pers. comm. 2025).

Magic Point

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