shark
Tawny nurse shark.
Nebrius ferrugineus · also: Giant sleepy shark
A heavy-bodied, sluggish bottom-dweller with tiny eyes and trailing barbels, often found dozing in caves by day, sometimes piled in groups. It is a powerful suction-feeder, able to vacuum prey out of crevices with an audible slurp. Slow and docile, but its small mouth generates remarkable suction force.
Size
~3.0–3.2 m
Weight
Heavy-bodied, to ~3.2 m long (reliable weight figures scarce).
Diet
Octopus, crustaceans, sea urchins, corals and reef fishes — sucked from holes.
Lifespan
Not firmly established; likely a few decades.
Depth
Shallows to ~70 m; usually 5–30 m.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous with oophagy (embryos eat unfertilised eggs in utero); small litters.
Snorkel or dive
Dive
Best season
Year-round
Conservation
Vulnerable
How to recognise it
Broad flattened head with two barbels by the mouth; small mouth; rusty-brown; sluggish.
Behaviour
Nocturnal bottom-feeder; rests by day piled in caves; suction-feeds on crustaceans and octopus.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Atoll-wide in caves; the signature draw of the Alimatha night dive (Vaavu).
Conservation
Fisheries for meat, fins and liver oil; reef habitat loss.
IUCN · Vulnerable
Watch them responsibly
Never grab or ride a resting nurse shark; keep clear of the caves where they rest.
Generates strong suction to vacuum prey out of crevices — you can sometimes hear the slurp.
Its suction feeding is strong enough to be heard underwater — it can spit and re-suck prey to reposition it.
Collective noun: a shiver of sharks
Want to dive with tawny nurse shark?
Our Maldives specialists match you to the right atoll, season and resort.
Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.