Whenever, I imagine pictures of the Caribbean islands, what comes to my mind are the beautiful beaches with white sand, the blue oceans, beach chairs, and some tasty beverages.
Coming to the Caribbean offers me the opportunity to live my fantasies.
I have visited different Caribbean islands for my honeymoon, getaways, and vacations.
Tourists targeted advertisements paint pictures of clear and clean waters in the Caribbean, full of different species of fish.
As a young boy, I was attracted by this dream.
Coral reefs got my attention so much that I wanted to know everything about it.
I have practiced as a marine biologist for 30 years, and over these years I discovered that the Caribbean is more attractive than I thought as a child.
However, I came to discover an ugly side of the region I had not imagined which can destroy marine life and the Caribbean economy.
This worrisome fact has to do with sharks.
Do Great White sharks swim in the Caribbean?
Yes.
White Sharks have been seen swimming in Caribbean islands like Mauritius.
They live in open waters, but most times they have been sighted in coastal waters where other aquatic wildlife like fur seals, sea lions, cetaceans, other species of sharks, and large bony fish species are sighted also.
I am going to talk about ten species of sharks that live in the Caribbean.
Today I will teach you how to differentiate them and which of them is on the endangered list.
We will tell you what they feed on, and if they pose threat to humans or not.
Great Hammerhead Shark
One of the sharks that draw the most attention in the Caribbean waters is the Great hammerhead sharks.
An adult shark can be about 20 feet in length, however, it has not been involved in any human attack.
Another name for this shark is “cephalopod”.
It can see on four sides.
They prey on fish, stingrays, crustaceans, and other sharks.
However, this shark has been over-harvested over time for use in shark fin soup factories.
Pollution has adversely affected them too.
Now they are among the endangered species.
Tiger Shark
An adult Tiger Shark can be 14 feet long.
Their bodies are streamlined and torpedo-shaped.
This shark species lives in the Caribbean waters.
They have seen teeth that can kill and grind bony fish, sea turtles, dolphins, seals, and sea birds.
They are very dangerous predators.
Their big size and hunting skills make them a major threat to humans.
However, because they are few in the Caribbean waters they have not been recorded in many attack incidences.
Nurse Shark
Adult Nurse sharks can be as long as ten feet.
Their noses are squarish shaped, and their eyes are small.
They live in shallow waters in the Caribbean Sea, and they swim in droves.
Nurse Shark feed on stingrays, small fish, mollusks, and crustaceans.
They have been responsible for nine attacks on humans, but none were life-threatening.
Just like their sister shark spaces, their population has decreased over the years, no thanks to pollution, over-harvesting, and the shark fin soup factors.
Blacktip Shark
An adult Blacktip shark can be six feet long, and they also live in the Caribbean waters.
Their bodies are torpedo-shaped.
They have pointed snouts and their fins have black tips.
You can find this shark in all the waters of the Caribbean.
They prey on other fishes like tilapia, grouper, herring, mullet, porgies, and sardines.
They are on the near-threatened species list.
Whale Shark
You will find Whale sharks in all tropical and subtropical waters everywhere in the world.
An adult can be as long as 40 feet.
Their mouths are wide and flat-shaped.
Their dorsal and tail points upwards, and their pectoral fins are big.
They are filter feeders and feed mainly on zooplankton.
Although they are on the list of endangered species, they pose no threat to humans.
They are threatened by pollution and over-harvesting, just like other shark species.
Caribbean Reef Shark
Just like their name, they live in the Caribbean waters, and their adult can be about nine feet in length.
They are seen in coral reefs and shallow waters.
They have been guilty of a few attacks on humans, although none were life-threatening.
They are on the list of endangered species, but they pose no threat to humans.
Caribbean Reef Sharks feed on stingrays, eagle rays, squid, octopus, and bony fish.
Bull Shark
Bull Shark inhabitants both fresh and salt waters.
Their adults can be as long as eleven feet.
Their teeth are pointed and very sharp.
They inhabit only shallow coastal waters and feed on other aquatic creatures, even their fellow sharks.
They are on the IUCN list of near-endangered species.
Lemon Shark
Lemon sharks like other sharks live in the Caribbean waters.
They have recorded a few attacks on humans but none resulted in death.
An adult Lemon Shark can be about 10 feet in length.
They always stay on the floor of oceans.
They feed on fish, crustaceans, and smaller sharks.
They are on the list of endangered species.
Their laid-back and inquisitive nature made them snorkelers’ friends.
Why are there no great whites in the Caribbean?
There are great whites in the Caribbean, but few are left.
The number of great white sharks has drastically reduced over the years due to health-related issues and the demolition of reefs where they used to live.
The decrease in the population of many aquatic creatures like tuna or swordfish, sea turtles, seabirds, and others due to harvesting has negatively affected sharks as bycatch.
Sharks are targets of fishermen because they prey on the fish they harvest for commercial use, and destroy their fishing equipment also.
We do not care for or feel concerned about things we are afraid of or do not understand.
I have come to understand as a biologist that without people’s care, there will be no successful conservation with nature…
Therefore, I recommend that we help preserve these creatures by creating conservatory programs for them and introducing harsh laws against shark hunters.
