Cherubs Cave & Henderson Rock is an important resting area for one shark species.

The rocky structures located at Cherubs Cave & Henderson Rock are regularly and predictably used by resting aggregations of Sand Tiger Sharks. This area is located towards the northern extent of the species’ migratory corridor, which runs from Montague Island in the south to Wolf Rock in the north (Otway & Ellis 2011; Reid-Anderson et al. 2019; Dwyer et al. 2023). Between 2003–2008, 15 Sand Tiger Sharks were tracked using pop-up archival satellite tags deployed at aggregation sites in New South Wales (Otway & Ellis 2011). Two of the tags (13.3%) released in the vicinity of Henderson Rock, highlighting this area as part of their annual migration.

Between 1991–2025, Sand Tiger Sharks were observed forming regular seasonal aggregations in the gutters, caves, and ledges of Cherubs Cave & Henderson Rock. This aggregation has been documented via photo-identification studies and acoustic telemetry confirming regular and predicable persistence of aggregations over multiple years (Bansemer & Bennett 2011; Otway & Ellis 2011; Dwyer et al. 2023). Photo-identification surveys between 2004–2008 (n = 9), revealed both males (22%) and females (78%) (including visibly pregnant individuals; 67% of total) were recorded yearly at sites within this area (Bennett & Bansemer 2011), yet direct evidence of mating in the area (e.g., fresh mating scars) or neonates are scarce (RG Dwyer pers. obs. 2025). Hovering and milling are 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 2015–2022, an acoustic telemetry study tracked 18 Sand Tiger Sharks (10 males, 8 females [one tagged within the area]; Dwyer et al. 2023). Seventeen of the tagged sharks were detected at the two receivers placed at Cherubs Cave & Henderson Rock (total detections = 27,801 detections). Multiple tagged sharks were detected over consecutive years (n = 2 over two years, n = 5 over three years, n = 1 over four years; Dwyer et al. 2023). Tagged female Sand Tiger Sharks were detected in the area between June to December, while males were detected between July and January. Residency analyses indicated that tagged female Sand Tiger Sharks remained at the site for an average of 11.2 days (range: 56 minutes–44 days), compared with males which averaged 2.5 days (range: 30 minutes–15 days; Dwyer et al. 2023). Both acoustic receivers were not active in the area for the whole study duration, potentially underestimating use of the area by the sharks. Between 2017–2021, when both acoustic receivers were active, there were 83 movements recorded by 12 tagged sharks between the sites of Cherubs Cave and Henderson Rock (~1.7 km distance), demonstrating the connectivity of the two main resting sites within the area. The predictable seasonal resting aggregation in the area suggest that Cherubs Cave & Henderson Rock is used by Sand Tiger Sharks as part of their annual migration (Otway & Ellis 2011; Reid-Anderson et al. 2019; Dwyer et al. 2023), either prior to the mating period (Bansemer & Bennett 2011), or for pregnant females as they move southward from Wolf Rock to pup.