Nurse shark

Photo: Rafael de la Parra · CC BY-NC

Nurse sharks are the quintessential resting reef shark of Caribbean coral gardens and Stella Maris Reef has a resident group that congregates under a coral overhang at roughly 12 metres. Docile and slow-moving, they are nocturnal hunters of lobster, octopus, and small fish that spend the day in a seemingly comatose state. Their barbels — sensory organs on either side of the mouth — are clearly visible at close range and help explain their remarkable ability to detect prey by smell alone.