Sharks
Nurse Shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum · Cartilaginous fish — family Ginglymostomatidae
The nurse shark is the Caribbean's resident couch dweller: a heavy-bodied, small-eyed animal the color of wet sand, folded under a ledge with its barbels drooping and its tail poking into the current. It can pump water over its gills while motionless, so entire dives pass while it does precisely nothing — then a night dive reveals the other nurse shark, nosing urgently through coral and inhaling octopus with an audible thump. At Belize's Shark Ray Alley and Bahamian feed sites they swarm like eager dogs. Its mellow reputation is deserved, right up until someone grabs one.
Waar en wanneer je er een kunt zien
"Resident" betekent dat je ze bij de meeste duiken op die bestemming tegenkomt; "seizoensgebonden" betekent betrouwbaar aanwezig in de vermelde maanden; al het andere is een bonus, geen garantie.
| Bestemming | Betrouwbaarheid | Maanden | Notities |
|---|---|---|---|
| CozumelMexico | Resident — seen on most dives | Het hele jaar door | |
| Belize Barrier ReefBelize | Resident — seen on most dives | Het hele jaar door | |
| Florida KeysUnited States | Resident — seen on most dives | Het hele jaar door | |
| Grand CaymanCayman Islands | Resident — seen on most dives | Het hele jaar door | |
| Nassau & New ProvidenceThe Bahamas | Resident — seen on most dives | Het hele jaar door |
Beste maand, in één oogopslag
Ze begrijpen
Habitat: Reefs, ledges, mangrove channels, and seagrass flats; rests by day under overhangs, often in piles
Verspreidingsgebied: Tropical western Atlantic from Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil, plus the eastern Pacific coast of the Americas; the similar tawny nurse shark replaces it in the Indo-Pacific
Gedrag: A sedentary, nocturnal bottom-dweller with barbels like a catfish and a tail that trails behind it lazily. Days are spent wedged beneath ledges, frequently stacked on other nurse sharks; nights are spent slurping prey out of holes. Habituated animals at feed sites become boldly food-focused.
Dieet: Crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish vacuumed off the bottom with a powerful suction feed you can sometimes hear
Grootte: doorgaans rond 2.3 m; gedocumenteerd tot 3.1 m (total length).
Hoe je je ertegenover gedraagt
No tail-pulling, no riding, no lifting resting animals for photos — behavior once common and now rightly banned. Give resting sharks their ledge and keep bait well managed at feed sites.
Behoud
Moved to Vulnerable in 2020 as inshore fishing and habitat loss eroded populations outside protected areas; still locally abundant in Florida, the Bahamas, and Belize.
Gekende duiksites waar je ze tegenkomt
Bekijk
Via de officiële kanalen
Best Places to Dive with Whale Sharks
Outrageously Tiny Fish
Sink or Swim? with Monét X Change | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Video's zijn ingesloten links naar de kanalen van de makers zelf — wij hosten niets en vermelden altijd de bron.