Tawny Nurse Shark
Nebrius ferrugineus
The tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus) is a species of carpet shark in the family Ginglymostomatidae, and the only extant member of the genus Nebrius. It is found widely along coastlines in the Indo-Pacific, preferring reefs, sandy flats, and seagrass beds from very shallow water to a depth of 70 m (230 ft). With a cylindrical body and a broad, flattened head, the tawny nurse shark is quite similar in appearance to the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) of the Atlantic and East Pacific, from which it can be distinguished by its pointed-tipped dorsal fins and narrow, sickle-shaped pectoral fins. The maximum recorded length of the tawny nurse shark is 3.2 m (10 ft). Nocturnal in habits, the tawny nurse shark tends to spend the day resting in piles of two dozen or more individuals inside caves or under ledges. At night, it is an active-swimming predator that uses a powerful suction force to extract prey from inside holes and crevices. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Nurse Shark sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
🕐 When They’re Spotted
Sightings of Tawny Nurse Shark are recorded here, but fewer than 5 of them carry a time of day in GBIF — sighting probability uses whole days, so it is unaffected. The hourly pattern needs timestamps we don't have yet.
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Tawny Nurse Shark in Ningaloo Marine Park?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Nurse Shark sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Tawny Nurse Shark in Ningaloo Marine Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Tawny Nurse Shark in Ningaloo Marine Park in our monthly data.