Completed
Nurse Shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum
Silhouette: based on photo by fokitochikito (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/220751543) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassElasmobranchii
- OrderOrectolobiformes (Carpet Sharks)
- FamilyGinglymostomatidae (Nurse Sharks)
- GenusGinglymostoma
- SpeciesGinglymostoma cirratum (Nurse Shark)
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
8 Verified sightings at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge From 2019 to 2026
89 In all 2 parks
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the 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. The nurse shark genus Ginglymostoma is derived from Greek language meaning hinged mouth, whereas the species cirratum is derived from Latin meaning having curled ringlets. Based on morphological similarities, Ginglymostoma is believed to be the sister genus of Nebrius, with both being placed in a clade that also include species Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum, Rhincodon typus, and Stegostoma fasciatum.
The name "nurse" may have originated... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Nurse Shark in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
No species of the same family or order lives in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, so these are its closest relatives here: other sharks & rays.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Nurse Shark in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Nurse Shark sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
What time of day is best to see a Nurse Shark?
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Nurse Shark sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge the best place to see a Nurse Shark?
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Nurse Shark sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park (Mexico, about 60%).
Where does the Nurse Shark sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Nurse Shark is recorded against all the sharks and rays logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
