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Temp: Surf 25°C Bottom 25°C
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Dive type : Recreational
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Visibility: Excellent
Water: Salt
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Data provided by EOL.org
Species Identified
Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 (sand tiger shark)
The sand tiger shark is one of the best-studied of the shark species. They are the only sharks known to gulp air at the surface and store it in their stomach to provide buoyancy . These sharks generally mate between Octobe...
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The sand tiger shark is one of the best-studied of the shark species. They are the only sharks known to gulp air at the surface and store it in their stomach to provide buoyancy . These sharks generally mate between October and November and courtship can take a long time, with the male aggressively nipping his potential mate . Females are ovoviviparous, giving birth to two large pups every two years. Pups hatch out of their eggs within the oviduct of the mother's reproductive system, one in each oviduct, and then feed on eggs that the female continues to produce . Over nine months to a year, the pups grow within their mother feeding on hundreds to thousands of eggs and, by the time they are born, measure up to a metre long . During the day they are found near caves and ledges , hovering just above the surface either singly or in small groups . These fairly docile sharks are sluggish and, despite a ferocious reputation, feed mainly on fish .
Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) (sandbar shark)
The sandbar shark spends the majority of its time near the sea bottom, where it patrols continuously for prey , such as small bottom-dwelling fishes, molluscs and crustaceans . Whilst the diet of the adult consists primar...
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The sandbar shark spends the majority of its time near the sea bottom, where it patrols continuously for prey , such as small bottom-dwelling fishes, molluscs and crustaceans . Whilst the diet of the adult consists primarily of fish, the pups appear to feed more on soft blue crabs . Despite its size and large triangular teeth, the sandbar shark has never been blamed for attacks on humans, preferring instead to stick to its live fish meals . Like most other members of the Carcharhinidae family, the sandbar shark is viviparous, giving birth to between 1 and 14 pups in each litter . The size of the litter varies depending on the size of the mother, with large females giving birth to larger litters . Pregnancy is estimated to last from 8 to 12 months , and appears to differ between geographical locations . The time of year in which the pups are born also varies slightly, but all females move inshore to shallow nursery areas to give birth . These nursery grounds are separated from the normal ranges of adults , and presumably offer the young a calm, food-rich environment in which to begin their lives. The females leave these coastal areas soon after giving birth, while the young remain in the nursery grounds until winter , when they move into warmer and deeper water . A common feature of sharks is their slow growth rate and low reproductive output. Estimates of the age at which the sandbar shark matures range from eight to ten years in Hawaii , to between 12 and 15 years of age in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean . Females give birth every other year at most . Populations of sandbar sharks appear to segregate by age .
Carcharhinus acronotus (Poey, 1860) (blacknose shark)
Found on continental and insular shelves, mainly over sandy, shell, and coral bottoms. Feeds on small fishes, including pinfish and porcupine fish. Preyed on by larger sharks. Viviparous (with a yolk-sac placenta), wit...
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Found on continental and insular shelves, mainly over sandy, shell, and coral bottoms. Feeds on small fishes, including pinfish and porcupine fish. Preyed on by larger sharks. Viviparous (with a yolk-sac placenta), with 3 to 6 young per litter. Performs a 'hunch' display, with back arched, caudal lowered and head raised, as a possible threat display when confronted by divers. Utilized dried salted for human consumption.
Myliobatis aquila (Linnaeus, 1758) (Common eagle ray)
Found in shallow lagoons , bays and estuaries; also offshore down to at least 95 m . Often found in groups . Feeds on benthic crustaceans, mollusks and fish. Ovoviviparous . Gestation period of 6-8 months, the females ...
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Found in shallow lagoons , bays and estuaries; also offshore down to at least 95 m . Often found in groups . Feeds on benthic crustaceans, mollusks and fish. Ovoviviparous . Gestation period of 6-8 months, the females give birth to 3-7 young . Caught by shore and ski-boat anglers, usually released after capture . Flesh is highly esteemed .
Myliobatis goodei Garman, 1885 (Southern eagle ray)
Ovoviviparous . In coastal waters down to 130 m.
Ovoviviparous . In coastal waters down to 130 m.
Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill, 1815) (Cownose ray)
Taeniura meyeni Müller and Henle, 1841 (Blotched fantail ray)
The round ribbontail ray feeds on bottom-dwelling fish, crabs and shrimp ; the positioning of the mouth on the underside of the body is perfect for scooping up animals hiding in the sand. These rays can be found singl...
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The round ribbontail ray feeds on bottom-dwelling fish, crabs and shrimp ; the positioning of the mouth on the underside of the body is perfect for scooping up animals hiding in the sand. These rays can be found singly or in aggregations . Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with up to seven live young being born per litter .
Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Green Turtle)
Green turtles are long-lived and may take up to 59 years to reach sexual maturity Undertaking tremendous feats of navigation, adults return to the same beach to breed each season, part of the population in Brazil astonish...
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Green turtles are long-lived and may take up to 59 years to reach sexual maturity Undertaking tremendous feats of navigation, adults return to the same beach to breed each season, part of the population in Brazil astonishingly migrates around 2,250 kilometres across the open ocean to breed on the Ascension Islands . Mating tends to occur just offshore of the nesting beaches; using a curved claw on each front flipper and a flat nail at the end of the tail, males are able to grip their mates . Females haul out onto the beach at night and dig large nests with their back flippers beyond the high tide mark, they typically lay between 100 and 150 eggs in one nest and then proceed to cover the eggs with sand; the whole process takes around two hours . A single female returns to breed only once every two to five years but will lay up to nine nests in that one season . Incubation takes between 45 and 70 days, and temperature has been shown to determine of the sex of hatchlings; with females being produced at warmer temperatures . Breaking open their eggs with a special hooked 'egg tooth' that will subsequently be lost; hatchlings use their powerful front flippers to reach the surface, and then proceed to the sea . The soft-bodied juveniles are particularly vulnerable at this time from a variety of predators, such as ghost crabs and gulls on the beach to sharks and dolphins in the water . Unlike other marine turtles, adult green turtles are almost exclusively herbivorous, grazing on seagrasses and algae ; it is assumed that juveniles are more omnivorous although the exact composition of their diet is unknown
Caretta caretta Linnaeus 1758 (Loggerhead Turtle)
Adults are primarily carnivorous, using their powerful jaws to crack open crustaceans such as crabs and even seemingly impenetrable molluscs such as the queen conch (Strombus gigas) and giant clam (Tridacna s...
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Adults are primarily carnivorous, using their powerful jaws to crack open crustaceans such as crabs and even seemingly impenetrable molluscs such as the queen conch (Strombus gigas) and giant clam (Tridacna spp.) . Loggerheads may reach sexual maturity at around 35 years old, and females appear to nest an average of three to five times in one breeding season, returning to breed every couple of years . Nesting occurs at night throughout the summer; females drag themselves out onto beaches beyond the high-tide mark and dig nests into which around 100 eggs are laid . Hatchlings and small juveniles appear to spend some time in pelagic environments, often drifting amongst rafts of sargassum and/or flotsam in the open ocean before migrating to benthic habitats in shallower, coastal waters .
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United States
Date: 2013-08-31 - 18:55
Max Depth: 7.6m Duration: 40mins
Dive with The Living Seas, Epcot Center Dive Dept
Dive buddies:
Zendiver
