Nurse shark encounter in the Florida Keys(weird)

Today I was diving Hens and Chickens in Islamorada.

1 foot sea 30-35 feet viz, finally no jellies to speak of except a man of war

The fish life was plentiful and big. Schools of Horse eyed jacks and bar jacks.

4 turtles

Tarpon which hovered in mid water for about 5 minutes.

Schools of log sized cudas and a school of permit

10-15 black grouper and 2 inch peacock flounder

Now the nurse shark story, I am shooting macro today and using the +10 reefnet diopter for the first time.(3 pix posted but nothing to speak of)

I am in the prone position shooting a goby and I feel something rubbing on my leg. I ignore it.
A second time I feel something rub on my leg and I dont give it much thought.
Finally I feel something on my leg and there is a 4 foot nurse shark laying down on my leg.
Now I am concerned, I shake it off and it starts following me. I now take a slow ascent to the surface and its nose is about a foot from my thigh. I now position the camera between me and the shark. When I got to about 5 feet it swims away.

I descend back down and dont see hide nor hair of this shark anymore. This did get my blood flowing lol !!

Have you considered more exposure protection?

She loved you!

cudachaser:

She loved you!

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I hope it was a she

Nurse sharks are quite harmless most of the time. They have been known to bite occassionaly but usually when a diver is showing off with them and being agressive. It was probably just curious or thought you were it's Mommy. Four feet isn't all that big. I've seen them a lot larger on the reefs around the Upper Keys. From looking at their mouth they seem to be crustacean eaters and sleep or rest a lot under outcrops so they won't be bothered I guess. I've hovered over some pretty good sized ones and all they do is move off.

Congratulations, deep, on the new family member... (she/he adopted you, dude).
I love nurses...

It does sound peculiar doesn't it? Usually when I see nurse sharks, they seem to be snoozing under a ledge. They either keep snoozing, or move off. I have never seen one do what you said.

It might be that the shark has been fed by divers and was associating you with food and hoping that you would come up with the goodies.

I had a dog that humped any leg that walked in the house. Maybe sharks have the same urges?

Splitlip:

I had a dog that any leg that walked in the house. Maybe sharks have the same urges?

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Thats just wrong