Love Bites!

It's that time of year again when love is in the air... or should we say, in the water! SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, home to Australia's largest population of grey nurse sharks (Carcharias taurus), is witnessing a spectacle of shark romance that's making waves.

These toothy lovers have been spotted giving each other 'love bites' - a unique courtship behaviour sure to make anyone's heart race!

Sydney’s warm weather has ignited a passionate start to the spring mating season. The aquarium’s five grey nurse sharks, two females - Striker and Mary-Lou and three males - Murdoch, Napoleon and Trio, are all likely to take part in the mating rituals this year.

In addition to biting the females, males will also flip them upside down to put them into a state of ‘tonic immobility’ which has a hypnotic effect on the females and allows the male to fertilise the female. Grey nurse sharks are listed as critically Endangered and are one of the slowest species of shark to reproduce, with females only breeding once every two years.

Guests to the aquarium during spring will potentially witness this unique shark love in action!