Caribbean Reef Shark
I leaned to scuba dive in college as a way to earn an easy “A”. After that I never looked back; diving in as many tropical places as I can. A special moment for me was the first time I dove with sharks. There’s a lot of misinformation about sharks but after diving with them and seeing them swim elegantly through the water effortlessly cruising past me I gained a new appreciation and respect for this apex predator.
Caribbean Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus Perezi)
Caribbean Reef Sharks are a species of requiem shark typically found throughout tropical waters in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea including Florida, Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico and as far south as Venezuela and Brazil. Based on surveys they are rarely found north of the Florida Keys. They are one of the largest predators in these areas with adults measuring 6.5 to 10 ft (2-3m) and weighing up to 154lbs (70kg). True to their name they typically inhabit coral reefs and are commonly found on the outer edges of reefs or close to drop-offs of the continental shelf. They mature at around 4-5 years and can live up to 15 years.
Distinguishing Features
Color - Back is dark grey to gray-brown fading to a white or whitish-yellow belly
Snout - Short, broad and bluntly rounded
Pectoral Fins - Large and narrow
First Dorsal Fin - Starts over the pectoral fin free tip
Second Dorsal Fin - Small with short rear tip
Gills - Moderately long with the third gill slit located above the origin of the pectoral fin
Length - 6.6 - 8.2 ft (2-2.5m)
Weight - 154lb (70kg)
Reproduction
Caribbean Reef Sharks start to give birth once they reach their adult state or are greater than approximately 6ft in length. Their gestation period is 12 months and their liter size is typically 4-6 pups measuring around 2.4ft (.7m) in length at birth. They are a viviparous species meaning they have a placenta and give birth to live young. To give birth they migrate towards shallow bays and coastal lagoons.
Female sharks are often found with deep wounds on the sides of their bodies during mating season indicating aggressive treatment during reproduction.
Shark Behavior
Contrary to popular belief Caribbean Reef Sharks are known to be relatively passive and typically pose little to no threat to humans. In contrast they typically prefer to avoid human interaction entirely unless cornered with no escape route.
Although these behaviors haven’t been recorded in specific association with the Caribbean Reef Shark, some possible signals indicating it may attack are: Head swings well out of the normal path; Sharp, quick movements or turns increasing in number; Back arches like a cat; One or both pectoral fins are lowered with trailing edges directed to the rear.
Conservation
The Caribbean Reef Shark is a Near Threatened species which is in the low risk category of the IUCN Red List. It’s prohibited from capture in the US and Bahamas, however, it can be the bi-catch of long line fishing making the importance of their conservation even more critical.
Sharks often get a bad reputation but they are generally not aggressive to humans unless provoked. Diving with the beautiful predators has shown me just how curious and gentle they can be. It’s amazing to share a habitat with such a powerful yet gracious animal, making sure they’re protected and around for the long haul is important to me.
