Ignite your personal power by joining Shannon and the team for a special ocean retreat
*NEW DATE ANNOUNCED* 6-9 March, 2025
Ignite your confident and courageous self on this 3-night experiential ocean retreat in the stunning location of Seal Rocks. Develop your connection to ocean and self under the nurturing guidance of Salty Tribe’s founder, Shannon, and other marine experts in a safe and supportive community of women. Learn how to embrace your fears by developing ocean awareness, engaging in breathwork and mind-body practices, and by sharing the sea with incredible marine life.
You will have the opportunity to:
Scuba dive with the famous Grey Nurse Sharks in a highly personal and supportive environment
See the humpback whales on their annual migration up the east coast
Snorkel in the Great Lakes Marine Park
Learn about shark history, biology, behaviour and our relationship to them
Encounter marine life such as Port Jackson sharks, turtles, eagle rays and blue gropers
Develop ocean and self awareness
Engage in breathwork and heart-opening connection practices
Learn practical ways to embrace fear in the ocean and in your everyday life
Participate in shark and ocean research (optional)
Who is this retreat for?
You identify as a woman of any adult age, and value nature and personal growth. You are looking to connect more deeply with the ocean and ignite your confidence, courage and adventurous spirit!
You have a desire to:
Enhance your wellbeing (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and earth) through connection with nature
Learn more about the ocean and sharks, and be open to getting up close and personal with these beauties of the sea (even if afraid!)
Embrace and be empowered by fear, be it fear of sharks, a discomfort in the ocean or a fear in your life on land
Feel greater confidence and comfort in the ocean, with sharks, and in yourself
Be part of a wholesome community of women
Be challenged to delve into deeper levels of self awareness
All adults and abilities are welcome to apply. We value diversity in all forms. We encourage you to join regardless of whether you are a seasoned water woman with a fear of sharks, or are new to igniting your inner water woman.
Why a shark retreat?
Sharks are one of most feared creatures on the planet, yet they and their ocean home are powerful totems for our growth and transformation of fear. Many women give a fear of sharks as a reason that limits their enjoyment and freedom in the ocean, just like any fear experienced on land.
Founder of The Salty Tribe, Shannon has spent 15 years swimming with sharks and guiding people back to the ocean. This has enabled her to connect with herself, the ocean and a beautiful community of women, all unified by driving their own personal power through a connection with nature.
She has seen first hand how many fast tourism experiences can leave people afraid of the ocean and disempowered after their time in the water.
After experiencing her own fears around the ocean, Shannon learnt (with the help of sharks) that embracing fear in a supportive way was the key to access her inner power.
This retreat allows us together to explore and embrace our fears (just like sharks) in a personal way, that often holds us back from feeling the true powerhouse of women we truly are. Connecting with this inner power is important for the wellbeing of ourselves, our communities and the planet.
Despite the appearance and reputation of a few shark species, these beauties are more than the fear that are often portrayed as, and even have placid and approachable personalities.
Credit: Forster Dive Centre
The details
LOCATION:
Nestled on the mid-north coast of New South Wales (just two hours north of Newcastle) lies Seal Rocks, a beautiful beach town that embodies Australia’s natural splendour. Seal Rocks is an absolute paradise that transports you to a tropical paradise whilst remaining conveniently close to a larger town.
ACCOMMODATION:
Enjoy breathtaking ocean views from our cosy beach house style accommodation, located directly opposite the beach! Whether you opt for a private Queen bedroom to yourself or a Twin Share Room, your senses will be invigorated by the scenery and salty air.
What previous participants are saying
INCLUSIONS:
Three nights of stylish beach house accommodation at Seal Rocks
All wholesome meals and snacks including sunset welcome dinner & drinks made with love by local Chef Sarah
All workshops and activities aligned with the Salty Tribe’s 3 C’s model:
Guided snorkelling adventure including all equipment
Scuba diving with the experienced crew at Forster Dive Centre including all equipment
Personal boat trip to see the Grey Nurse Sharks
Sunrise swims
Breathwork
Ocean Mindfulness Sessions
Marine education sessions
Learn tools to embrace fear in the ocean and in your everyday life
Journaling and self reflection activities
The opportunity to partake in shark and ocean research in collaboration with the University of South Australia
All transportation while at the retreat
A complimentary 1:1 ocean coaching session (online) with Shannon before the retreat
*price does not include transport to and from Seal Rocks
*no prior scuba diving experience is required. Scuba diving is recommended to give you the most intimate experiences with the sharks, but you can choose to snorkel instead. Scuba diving dependent on medical and weather conditions.
COST:
**NEW DATE ANNOUNCED** 6-9 March, 2025
$2849 Twin Share Bedroom / $3280 Private Queen Bedroom
*Payment plans available*
**Limited to 6 spots per retreat for a highly personal and supportive experience**
*Express your interest by filling out the form at the link above so we can find out more about you and make sure the retreat is a good fit. It is recommended to have some level of ocean ability and comfort before the retreat. There are a limited number of places for a more personalised and supportive experience.
Read more about The Salty Tribe here.
Transform fear, discomfort and powerlessness into personal power, confidence and freedom.
THE ITINERARY:
Day 1: welcome dinner and meeting our tribe. Arrive at Seal Rocks and embrace the ocean views as you enjoy a welcome platter on arrival. Connect with your fellow Salty Tribe ocean enthusiasts and delve into the fascinating world of sharks and the ocean. Set yourself up for a rememberable journey of connection and discovery.
Day 2: grow your comfort, confidence and knowledge of yourself, the ocean and sharks. Learn how to harness your calm courage through self and water connection practices designed to make you feel more at home in your body and the ocean (breathwork, ocean mindfulness, and heart opening activities). Be guided on snorkelling adventures with marine life to grow your comfort and water-woman skills. Learn about sharks and the ocean in engaging ways to increase your knowledge of marine life and hear tales from the local dive centre who know the sharks by name. Learn techniques to embrace and lessen the grip your fears have on you.
Day 3: meet the sharks! You will be taught to scuba dive if you aren’t already a certified scuba diver. Once you have mastered the basic skills in the pool, you will have the opportunity to have up close and personal interactions with these beauties of the sea (or opt to snorkel instead) on a boat trip out to the local Grey Nurse Shark aggregation sites. This will be your opportunity to practice all the skills you have learnt so far and be empowered and liberated through embracing your fear.
Day 4: reflection and celebration. Reflect on and celebrate our growth and integrate it all into our lives going forward with the support of our amazing tribe of women. You will also get the chance to further explore the gems this coastline has to offer before we make our departure.
As part of this retreat you will have the opportunity to partake in research to improve our understanding of the relationship between humans and sharks. This is run in collaboration with researchers from the University of South Australia, and is optional to participate. Further details about the retreat can be found here.
Meet Shannon, your Salty Guide
Hello! I am the proud founder of The Salty Tribe, where I am passionate about helping women foster a deep connection, boost their confidence, and nurture their care for the underwater world.
With over a decade of experience as a snorkel and dive instructor, educator, conservationist, and more recently as a certified results coach, people I have guided say I have a knack for creating a safe and comfortable environment for them to explore the ocean. But let's not forget, sharks are the true guides!
Sharks have truly transformed my life. From swimming with Great Whites, Bull Sharks, Reef Sharks, Hammerheads, to Whale Sharks around the globe, they have revealed to me the beauty that lies beneath the veil of fear that often surrounds them. One significant moment occurred when I faced anxiety and a panic attack 30 meters below the ocean's surface.
Confronting my own challenges and doubts, I began to embrace and confront my fear which taught me practical ways to manage anxiety and fear. The sharks became catalysts for rediscovering my strength and self-love, which I thought I had lost during that anxious period.
I am thrilled to guide you on a journey where sharks have the power to rock your world too! I firmly believe they are some of the most incredible teachers when it comes to fear and serve as indicators of our planet's well-being.
For more details about my qualifications explore here. See a recent shark talk I delivered here.
I am so grateful to introduce my fellow shark lover and ocean extraordinaire Hannah Maloney who will be joining us!
Meet Hannah Moloney
Hannah is the Manta Queen!
As a marine biologist, she has been studying manta ray behaviour on remote resort islands in the Maldives and the Great Barrier Reef, and is extremely passionate about the conservation of
threatened shark and ray species.
She is a researcher for the internationally renowned scientific programs Project Manta, Maldives Manta Conservation Programme and The Manta Trust, she is a divemaster, and has more than 10 years experience as a snorkel guide with first aid qualifications.
