Nurse Shark
Nurse shark (Brian Lasenby / shutterstock.com)
The nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) is probably named for the sucking noise it makes when hunting, which reminds of a nursing baby. It has a yellow- to gray-brown body, strong jaws, and a distinctive tail fin that can be up to one-fourth of its total length. In contrast to most other sharks, nurse sharks have smooth skin. They reach about 3 meters in length.. Some divers have been attacked after approaching a sleeping animal. In total, 9 unprovoked attacks on humans (all non-fatal) have been reported.
Inhabits the East-Pacific Ocean.
Inhabits the Atlantic Ocean.
This supplemental online resource accompanies the book Scuba Diving Hand Signals by Lars Behnke, available on
Amazon.