Video of reef shark circling and bumping a Cayman diver to get at his lionfish catch

[Lopez116]

So, last week on a dive site off Grand Cayman (Caterpillar), there was this nurse shark who was hanging around with our dive group. The shark would bump , rub up against you and then swim to this hole in the coral where there was a lion fish, the shark was too big to get in the hole so he would come back to you rub up against you and then go to the hole where the lion fish was. This action lasted most of the dive, in fact it happened to me. I was amazed, fist a little scared and latter impressed, the shark was like a big dog and he knew what he wanted.

I know which one you're talking about. He's been there for a couple years now. Usually just follows along on the dive. That's pretty cool behavior you observed!

 

[caymaniac]

I know which one you're talking about. He's been there for a couple years now. Usually just follows along on the dive. That's pretty cool behavior you observed!

 

[HalcyonDaze]

So, last week on a dive site off Grand Cayman (Caterpillar), there was this nurse shark who was hanging around with our dive group. The shark would bump , rub up against you and then swim to this hole in the coral where there was a lion fish, the shark was too big to get in the hole so he would come back to you rub up against you and then go to the hole where the lion fish was. This action lasted most of the dive, in fact it happened to me. I was amazed, fist a little scared and latter impressed, the shark was like a big dog and he knew what he wanted.

Back in October I noticed a lot of the big snappers on the west end of Grand Cayman hanging around waiting for us to grab lionfish. Being a tourist and thus barred from bringing my lionfish-shishkabobbing implements along on the trip, they were disappointed in me. I will say there were a few Wile E. Coyote improvisational methods tried to the expected level of success (0%).

Interestingly, in the Red Sea groupers have been observed going over to moray eels, signalling them with shaking motions, and leading them over to spots in the reef where smaller fish are hiding. What that nurse shark was doing sounds similar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn5Vhr9Tz7I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A7qqfJYXOc

EDIT: Possibly occurs in the Caribbean as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtyrifXRMPg

 

[HalcyonDaze]

HELL YEAH!

Reef sharks may be catching on to hunting lionfish - Cayman 27

 

[farsidefan1]

I was at Little Cayman last year and a grouper tore the bag our DM had with a lionfish out of her hand and ate him. Funny as heck to watch. I'm heading back Friday for a week.