6-foot Caribbean nurse shark found trapped in deadly outfit, experts say

A shark wearing what appears to be a skirt has been photographed in the waters off the Cayman Islands — and marine biologists are desperate to find the predator.

The 6-foot shark is actually trapped in the outfit, with close inspection of photos showing the cloth tightening like a noose as the shark grows.

“This poor nurse shark became entangled in a mesh bag which somehow found its way into the sea,” the Cayman Islands Department of Environment said in an Oct. 21 Facebook post.

“We are doing our best to locate and assist him but so far, we’ve been unsuccessful.”

The shark was seen on the north side of the island at the Eagleray Pass “but could be anywhere,” officials say. The popular diving site, located along an ocean floor wall called the North Wall, gets its name from its abundance of eagle rays, according to Xtreme Spots.

A diver from the Cayman Islands, Brad Nelson, spotted the shark Oct. 14 and posted photos online, referring to it as a “very unfashionable” situation.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t have my fancy scissors to help him out of his predicament,” wrote Nelson, who is the owner-operator of Cayman University Divers. “Perhaps I’ll see him again.”

The species is known to grow to 12 feet off the Cayman Islands, according to Visitcaymanisland.com.

“The nurse shark occurs throughout the Caribbean, and is one of the more commonly seen sharks, most often observed ‘sleeping’ under ledges or in holes in the reef during the daytime,” the site reports.

“They are harmless and not aggressive but will bite if they are provoked.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 7:28 AM with the headline "6-foot Caribbean nurse shark found trapped in deadly outfit, experts say."