Nurse shark

Photo: Rafael de la Parra · CC BY-NC

Nurse sharks are benthic ambush predators that rest motionless on the sandy floor at the base of Babylon's pinnacles during daylight hours, often piling in groups of three or four beneath overhangs. They are unique among sharks in their ability to pump water over their gills while stationary, freeing them from the need to swim continuously. At dusk they become active hunters of fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, using barbels on their snouts to detect prey buried in the sediment.