Nurse shark

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

Tawny nurse sharks sleep by day in the sand at the base of the Marigondon wall just below the cave entrance, often two or three individuals resting side by side. Their sedentary, docile reputation makes them approachable — experienced divers can observe them at close range without disturbance — though, like all sharks, direct contact should be avoided. They are nocturnal suction feeders, targeting crustaceans and molluscs in reef crevices after dark. Vulnerable globally due to targeted fishing; their continued presence at Marigondon reflects the site's relatively low fishing pressure.