Nurse Shark

Photo: Rafael de la Parra · CC BY-NC

Nurse sharks have adopted the Amadores reef modules as permanent daytime resting habitat, congregating in groups that rest motionless in the shade beneath the concrete structures with pectoral fins used to prop themselves off the substrate. They are nocturnal hunters that use powerful suction and sensory barbels to detect and extract prey — molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish — from crevices and sediment after dark. Their presence at an artificial reef this close to a tourist beach represents a remarkable coexistence story and has made them ambassadors for shark conservation education run by local dive operators.