The Caribbean Reef Shark (carcharhinus-perezi) – Roatan, Honduras
The Caribbean Reef shark is often mistaken for other sharks with its streamline and robust structure. They have a short rounded snout and when you look up close, they have an extra rear tip on the second dorsal fin. The first dorsal fin is slightly angled or curved and the gills slits are also longer than most other varieties of sharks..
The Caribbean shark’s mating habits are aggressive and the female of the species is often seen with wounds during the breeding season in February and April. This shark is viviparous which means the eggs remain inside the womb of the female shark and the embryos develop there. A female Caribbean shark often gives birth to a litter of four to six after a gestation period of one year. ONE YEAR!! Females can only become pregnant every other year. A newborn Caribbean shark is only about 29 inches long. We encountered a few pregnant females on the Shark Dive in Roatan!
Between hunts, the Caribbean reef shark may be observed lying motionless on the ocean floor, a behavior leading to the species being given the nickname, the ‘sleeping shark’. You’re not the only one who likes a nap after a good meal buddy.
With the exception of these controlled shark dives, most Caribbean Reef Sharks tend to avoid human contact. When threatened, the Caribbean Reef Shark is known to do a “threat dance” that includes swimming in a zig-zag motion while dipping the pectoral fins at intervals of 1-2 seconds… hmmmmmmm. I think this could be a thing….. That creepy dude hitting on you at the bar? Yeah check out my zig-zag threat dance. Yeah you BETTER back up. Pffffttt.
Oh and this is the Joker. He’s famous! A local celebrity of Roatan!
Leave a Reply