Vulnerable· population decreasing· assessed 2021

Nurse Shark

Ginglymostoma cirratum

Sighting evidence at El Aquario, Tayrona National Park

Nurse sharks use El Aquario's sandy channels as resting grounds throughout the day, lying motionless beneath coral ledges or clustered in groups of three to five individuals. They are benthic predators that hunt crustaceans and molluscs at night, returning to the same resting spots daily — a behaviour that makes this site one of Colombia's most reliable nurse shark encounters. Their docile nature and the park's no-fishing rules mean they have habituated to snorkellers and divers.

Evidence at this site

1 record within 25 km

Confidence: low

Last confirmed Apr 2026

Seasonality

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Nurse Shark

Evidence at this site

Seasonality

Also seen at other sites