Cristina Zenato

Cristina Zenato Instagram – Nurse sharks are “docile” NO! 👇Please read below to understand better sharks and their natural behavior.
It is common to hear sharks labeled as more aggressive or docile, especially nurse sharks.
The definition of docile is ready to accept control or instruction; submissive.
Neither of those descriptions is correct for a nurse shark or any other shark.
The nurse shark’s nature is different from that of tiger sharks or great hammerheads, as much as it differs from whale and basking sharks; these last two species are occasionally referred to as docile.
These animals have specific lives and feedings that might make them less intense when encountering them in the ocean. However, it is a colossal mistake to consider them as possible to control and be submissive. As a matter of perfect example of these misinterpretations, nurse sharks are responsible for quite a large number of bites on humans because of the carelessness of the humans in interacting with them, including divers or snorkelers pulling on their tails while they are resting under a coral head.
No animal is aggressive or docile; they present different behaviors based on how they live, feed, and hunt and other variables, from weather to visibility and temperature.
Nurse sharks deserve as much attention and respect as the bigger sharks.
With my work, I attempt to educate that “one size does not fit all,” that species are different, and that within the species, individuals are unique. It’s time we speak about sharks from their point of view and not from our human interpretation (anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to an animal or even object.)
Image by me of two nurse sharks resting on the ocean floor during our recent liveaboard trip around the Northern Bahamas to learn about sharks, behaviors, and how to be in the water with them safely.
@isotta_underwater_housings @waterproofinternational @scubapro @fourthelementdive | Posted on 17/Mar/2024 16:40:01