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.
Где и когда увидеть
«Постоянные» — значит, большинство погружений в этом месте позволяет встретить их; «сезонные» — значит, они стабильно присутствуют в указанные месяцы; всё остальное — приятный бонус, а не повод строить планы.
| Направление | Достоверность | Месяцы | Примечания |
|---|---|---|---|
| CozumelMexico | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| Belize Barrier ReefBelize | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| Florida KeysUnited States | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| Grand CaymanCayman Islands | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| Nassau & New ProvidenceThe Bahamas | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год |
Лучший месяц — коротко
Как их понять
Среда обитания: Reefs, ledges, mangrove channels, and seagrass flats; rests by day under overhangs, often in piles
Ареал: 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
Поведение: 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.
Рацион питания: Crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish vacuumed off the bottom with a powerful suction feed you can sometimes hear
Размер: как правило, около 2.3 m; задокументировано до 3.1 m (total length).
Как вести себя рядом с ним
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.
Охрана природы
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.
Известные места на карте
Смотреть
Из официальных источников
Best Places to Dive with Whale Sharks
Outrageously Tiny Fish
Sink or Swim? with Monét X Change | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Видео — это встроенные ссылки на каналы их авторов: мы ничего не размещаем у себя и указываем все источники.