Nurse Shark or ???
- Tracy in WI
- Posts: 1624
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:39 am
- Location: Wisconsin
Nurse Shark or ???
While working on my latest installment for our trip report, I was looking a bit more closely at this shark picture I took while at Leinster Bay. I no longer think it was a Nurse Shark - maybe a Lemon Shark? Anyone know for sure? Scary, because when I saw it I kind of chased it for this picture - click on it please as I can't get it to come up here. I am computer illiterate!
http://picasaweb.google.com/gofishtlp/S ... 1281186418
http://picasaweb.google.com/gofishtlp/S ... 1281186418
Tracy, Seaside Properties at Grande Bay
- cypressgirl
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- StJohnRuth
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Hey Tracy, I think I saw the same shark at Waterlemon back in August! Scared me to death, since my son and I were in relatively shallow water watching a turtle feed, and then a shark swam between us and the turtle. It couldn't have been more than 4 feet from our faces! When it went by I noticed that the tail had a black tip like the one in your picture, and I didn't think it was a nurse shark.
- Marcia (Mrs. Pete)
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I'm no expert, but based on this web page...
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=495
I'd say reef shark. That site says that they are non-aggressive.
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=495
I'd say reef shark. That site says that they are non-aggressive.
...ron
Time to start working on convincing the wife that we have to go back soon!
Time to start working on convincing the wife that we have to go back soon!
- Ron in South Texas
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- Tracy in WI
- Posts: 1624
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:39 am
- Location: Wisconsin
Man, that's the last time I go chasing after a shark! My 8 year old (7 at the time) was snorkeling at Leinster Bay last June and I think he also saw this same shark. It was in the shallow area by the seagrass and he thought it was the coolest thing!
We saw this one at Leinster too, but closer to the rocky shoreline where you get in to snorkel out to Waterlemon.
He, fortunately, had no interest in me and swam nicely by, but I did keep followign him. You know, that new camera with the underwater case! I didn't want to miss any shots!
Also, based on my reef fish book, I do think it might be a lemon shark because the second dorsal fin is about the same size as the first. But, they are rare to uncommon in the caribbean. Who knows?!!
We saw this one at Leinster too, but closer to the rocky shoreline where you get in to snorkel out to Waterlemon.
He, fortunately, had no interest in me and swam nicely by, but I did keep followign him. You know, that new camera with the underwater case! I didn't want to miss any shots!
Also, based on my reef fish book, I do think it might be a lemon shark because the second dorsal fin is about the same size as the first. But, they are rare to uncommon in the caribbean. Who knows?!!
Tracy, Seaside Properties at Grande Bay
Tracy - I too am pretty sure I saw this shark at Waterlemon. It was pretty big - 5' or so - we made a bee-line for the shore at the point near the cay. Several others were there who had also seen it - they called it a reef shark (I didn't get a close enough to tell), but that was enough to keep us from snorkeling the cay. And you chased it!!!
Crazy!!
Tracy,
You "crack me up" - Quote - Unquote "I kind of chased it"??!!??
You are way too funny!
New camera or not - there is no way in you know where that I would have been heading in the same direction as that creature!!
"Good on ya!" as The Croc Man used to say!
I am no shark expert - but, I did a little on-line shark photo searching and I think you may be on the right track with thinking that is was perhaps a Lemon Shark. (Except I don't like reading that it appears to be one of the more aggresive sharks.) Good thing you didn't know that at the time, huh? - or maybe not.
I am still shaking my head - you are quite a brave (or crazy) soul!
You "crack me up" - Quote - Unquote "I kind of chased it"??!!??
You are way too funny!
New camera or not - there is no way in you know where that I would have been heading in the same direction as that creature!!
"Good on ya!" as The Croc Man used to say!
I am no shark expert - but, I did a little on-line shark photo searching and I think you may be on the right track with thinking that is was perhaps a Lemon Shark. (Except I don't like reading that it appears to be one of the more aggresive sharks.) Good thing you didn't know that at the time, huh? - or maybe not.
I am still shaking my head - you are quite a brave (or crazy) soul!