The first thing to remember about nurse sharks: just like with other underwater creatures, the same rules apply as in a strip club.
Looking? Totally fine. Touching? Absolutely not.
Nurse sharks have tiny but sharp teeth — up to 18 rows of them. They rarely bite, but if they do, they don’t let go easily because the teeth curve inward.
Their mouth works like a vacuum cleaner, sucking prey in with impressive force.
Most sharks would sink if they stopped swimming. Nurse sharks are different — they can rest motionless on the bottom and literally nap.
Favorite spots: caves, overhangs and under coral formations.
They have two fleshy barbels near their nostrils that help them detect shrimp, crabs and octopus in the dark.
Adorable? Yes. Still don’t touch them.
The pups develop inside eggs within the mother’s body. Pregnancy lasts up to six months, and females can give birth to 20–30 baby sharks at once, each around 30 cm long. And yes — nurse sharks usually give birth at night.
They’re often found resting together in groups of up to 40 individuals.
Literally.
This helps them get rid of indigestible food or parasites.
Divers are not on the menu — not even out of curiosity. Nurse sharks are bottom-dwelling sharks, which is why they’re much more interested in shrimp, crabs and octopus than in people.
So yes — diving with nurse sharks is completely safe as long as you don’t try to touch them.
