Are There Many Ocean Sharks in the Caribbean?

Silky Shark

• The silky shark, or Carcharhinus falciformis, is a deep water ocean shark that generally prefers to swim in the open ocean off the coasts of deep water coral reefs. They are sleek and shiny and are gray in color. They have long, pointed snouts and are large sharks that feed primarily on bony fish. They inhabit the deep waters off Andros Island in the Bahamas. They grow to about 11 feet long, are quick and aggressive and often swim behind schools of tuna fish to feed on the weak or stragglers.

Caribbean Reef Shark

• The Caribbean reef shark, or Carcharhinus perezi, has a classic form and shape and is prevalent throughout the waters surrounding the Bahamas. These sharks also inhabit the waters off the coast of Florida that flow into the Caribbean. A slender body, round blunt snout and pale gray top with white underside characterize the Caribbean reef shark. They populate coral reefs and grow to about 9 feet in length. Most Caribbean reef sharks, however, are about 4 to 6 feet long. They eat bony fish. Caribbean reef sharks swim in the Caribbean up to the Gulf of Mexico all year long.

Nurse Shark

• Nurse sharks, or Ginglymostoma cirratum, are a type of shark commonly found throughout the Caribbean. They populate the sandy bottoms of shallow, warm waters near coral reefs around the world. Nurse sharks are harmless unless provoked and grow up to 13 feet long. They feed primarily on shrimp, small fish, squid, octopus, crabs, lobsters, coral and other invertebrates that live along the ocean floor. Nurse sharks travel in schools and hunt for food at night. They are common throughout the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, as well as the Caribbean, which features many coral reef areas where food is readily available.

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

• The oceanic whitetip shark, or Carcharhinus longimanus, is a powerful predator that dwells in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Like other sharks common to the Caribbean, oceanic whitetip sharks prefer to live near coral reefs where they can hunt for sea birds, turtles, stingrays and fish. They are highly dangerous and should be avoided by humans, as they are not particular in their diet preferences. They are long, slender, gray sharks with white-tipped dorsal fins. They are generally about 10 feet long.