A diver is making a public plea for people to reduce their waste after seeing a grey nurse shark injured by rubbish in waters off the NSW Mid North Coast.
Forster Dive Centre co-owner Amelie Chipeaux said she was diving at Seals Rock, 138km north of Newcastle, last month when she spotted the 1.6m female shark swimming towards her with something around its body.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Diver’s ‘devastating’ find in ocean.
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Chipeaux said the shark was badly injured with a metal ring stuck around it, cutting into its body.
“I was devastated. I couldn’t do anything to help, I felt really sad,” she said.
Chipeaux captured a video of the shark swimming past and posted it to social media with a plea for people to place their rubbish in bins and reduce their overall waste.
Every year in Australia, 130,000 tonnes of plastic leaks into the ocean, according to animal charity WWF.
Forster Dive Centre organises monthly clean-ups of Seals Rock and surrounds.
Chipeaux said during these clean-ups, they can find between five and 10kgs of rubbish.
“We see a lot of fishing lines around fish, sharks (and) turtles that die because they ate plastic bags,” she said.
“It’s a simple task to do, to be mindful of our waste.”
When they can, the divers try to remove any rubbish animals have been caught in.
Chipeaux and her team hope to return to Seals Rock next week and see the injured shark again, but she is unsure what she can do to help.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries told her they will investigate.
7NEWS.com.au has contacted the department for comment.
