Caribbean Reef Shark

Photo: Serena Stean · CC BY-NC

Caribbean reef sharks patrol the outer edge of the wreck and the adjacent reef wall in small numbers, drawn by the concentration of fish that the wreck's structure supports. Their presence on this remote atoll is a direct product of Chinchorro's protected status — reef shark populations have recovered here in a way that mirrors historical Caribbean abundance. Behaviour is relaxed and investigatory rather than excited, making encounters prolonged and photogenic.