Nurse Shark - Nicky Kemp

 

On Wednesday, May 26th, a nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) at Stag Party East. Nurse sharks are solitary bottom feeders that are primarily active at night. They are suction feeders with relatively small mouths that feed on small fish, stingrays, and invertebrates. Adult nurse sharks are a brownish color and can get as long as 10 feet. Nurse sharks are found along tropical and subtropical waters. They are typically found inshore around coral reefs, mangrove islands, and seagrass flats. Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous which means they have embryos develop inside eggs that remain in the mother until ready to be hatched. It takes females 18 months to produce a new batch of eggs. Their gestation period is around 6 months and has about 21 – 29 pups. Male nurse sharks reach sexual maturity around 10 – 15 years, while females reach sexual maturity around 15 – 20 years. The average lifespan is up to 25 years. The nurse shark that was seen at Stag Party East was swimming along the bottom of the coral reef and looked around 6 feet in length.  The conditions were sunny and partly cloudy, the water temperature was 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The depth was around 12 to 18 feet with visibility at 30 feet. The water was rough with swells around 2 – 3 rollers, high energy. 

Nicky Kemp