sleeping nurse sharks?

[highlandfarmwv]

My friend says that sharks have to move all the time in order to force water through their gills to "breathe". How do nurse sharks appear to be sleeping under ledges quietly?

 

[alcina]

Some sharks are "mouth breathers" Nurse sharks, wobbegongs and white tip reef sharks are examples of sharks that can snooze on the bottom and do not need to swim to survive...

 

[highlandfarmwv]

Thank you.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Here is a picture of a reef shark I took resting in an overhang. As alcina says, not all sharks have to keep moving.

 

[Jcsgt]

Great shot, Dennis! I have never been able to get a good angle on a shark under an overhang, despite doing my best upside-down trumpetfish imitation.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I did take that upside down Jcsgt. Good call.

 

[meekal]

there are lots of 'myths' out there:

http://www.five.tv/programmes/killersharklive/features/feature3/

 

[Cacia]

I love crawling up to them and getting nose to nose and watching their beady little eyes follow your every move.

 

[havnmonkey]

I found one in MEX; do they often wake up when your strobe goes off? Mine did and then tore off like a rocket out of control... up the reef, down the reef, it was like wastching a three year old on speed in a toy store

 

[Diver Dennis]

I took a number of pictures with this one but the site is often visited by divers so I don't think the strobes bothered her. Years ago in Maui we used to sneak up on White Tips and stroke them until they woke up and slowly moved off. Quite rude of us when I think of it now...