Nurse Shark

Photo: CONANP_Reserva de la Biosfera Banco Chinchorro · CC BY-NC

Nurse sharks rest in the sandy grooves between reef spurs throughout the day, often piled several animals deep in favoured overhangs, and become active predators of reef fish and invertebrates at night. Their sedentary daytime behaviour makes them extraordinarily approachable, though they are large animals capable of inflicting serious bites if harassed. The grooves of this reef host one of the densest aggregations of resting nurse sharks of any site around Isla Mujeres.