The cool weather at Norah Head Lighthouse did not stop hundreds of families attending the annual Whale Dreamers Festival where children had the opportunity to explore the types of sharks living in our waters through identifying their fossilised teeth - an activity we wouldn’t be able to do with a live shark.

CMA Coast and Marine Officer Rob Carraro said studying teeth was an ideal way to identify the type of shark it came from as teeth vary from shark to shark.

“Sharks range in size and shape and likewise their teeth vary in size, shape and also get replaced constantly, a bit like human baby teeth being replaced by permanent teeth when we get older,” Rob said.

“I have been collecting these fossilised teeth for years, and the Whale Dreamers Festival was the perfect event to showcase these interesting specimens. It was great to be able to share my passion and enthusiasm for these magnificent sea creatures with such an engaged audience,” Rob said.

“Our local marine life is very precious and it is important for us all to find out how we can better conserve our coastal waterways, an important habitat for sea creatures such as sharks and whales,” Rob said.

The Whale Dreamers Festival, coordinated by Ocean and Coastal Care Initiatives (OCCI) is a local event developed to raise awareness of the plight of the whale and to celebrate the whales’ migration season.