Swimmers experience a shark feeding frenzy close up in Belize

Swimmers in Belize were treated to a close up experience in the water with a pack of hungry nurse sharks. Lowering a tube of bait and throwing chunks of fish in the water creates a feeding frenzy with these ten foot long animals all bumping and shoving each other to get at the food. Nurse sharks are not particularly dangerous to swimmers. They often follow scuba divers, hoping one will spear a fish or attract smaller fish to prey on. They are curious animals and their mouths are not shaped like some of the more predatory sharks. Although they still possess formidable teeth and impressive jaw strength, they are not designed or inclined to bite people.

These swimmers were nervous about entering the water so close to a group of huge and powerful creatures, but their enthusiasm and curiosity soon replaced fear as they watched with fascination while the sharks fed. Occasionally, the rough skin of the sharks brushed against the swimmers and their muscular bodies bumped and jostled them, reminding them to stay out of the way of the action.

Seeing animals like this, so close up, in their own environment is a far more rewarding experience than seeing them in a tank.