Nurse Shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassElasmobranchii
- OrderOrectolobiformes (Carpet Sharks)
- FamilyGinglymostomatidae (Nurse Sharks)
- GenusGinglymostoma
- SpeciesGinglymostoma cirratum (Nurse Shark)
The nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) is an elasmobranch fish in the family Ginglymostomatidae. The conservation status of the nurse shark is globally assessed as vulnerable in the IUCN List of Threatened Species. They are considered to be a species of least concern in the United States and in The Bahamas, but considered to be near threatened in the western Atlantic Ocean because of their vulnerable status in South America and reported threats throughout many areas of Central America and the Caribbean. They are directly targeted in some fisheries and considered by-catch in others. Nurse sharks are an important species for shark research. They are robust and able to tolerate capture, handling, and tagging extremely well. Wikipedia →
60–70% of wildlife watchers report a Nurse Shark sighting in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, based on 73 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Nurse Shark in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park?
About 69% of wildlife watchers report a Nurse Shark sighting in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, based on 73 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Nurse Shark in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Nurse Shark in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park in our monthly data.