Nurse shark

Photo: Rafael de la Parra · CC BY-NC

Nurse sharks are sluggish bottom-dwellers that spend daylight hours resting in groups on sandy patches or under ledges. They feed at night, using powerful suction to extract spiny lobster, octopus, and sleeping reef fish from crevices. Their presence on wrecks indicates mature, established reef communities. While generally docile toward divers, they can bite if harassed — their grip is powerful and they rarely release. Globally listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and targeted fishing across their Atlantic and Pacific ranges.