Ok - let me preface today's post with a warning... Don't this this on your own. Sharks are definitely still wild animals, and while nurse sharks seem docile, they are responsible for many diver accidents every year - mainly because dives pester them and do not respect their space. These nurse sharks had been swimming near us for several days, and we were able to observe their behavior and had several members of our group who have experience working with the sharks. We let the sharks come and go as they pleased and never prevented them from doing what they wanted to do. We just gave them light scratches and petting, never grabbing a hold of the shark or touching near their face/mouth. Again - do not try this on your own.

This was a pretty awesome experience. These sharks were fairly small - in the range of 3 - 4 feet. Though we did have larger ones swimming in, they didn't really have any interest in being petted - they were hunting.

The little one really liked my camera and kept swimming closer and closer, I got a couple shots of her so close that her face in underneath the lens! But I did get one shot that I absolutely love and I'll share that tomorrow.

- Bill