The tawny nurse shark is a slender, bottom-dwelling shark with a distinctive russet or yellowish-brown colour and a flattened head. It hunts along sandy and rocky reefs, typically at depths between 5 and 70 metres, using barbels—sensory whiskers near its mouth—to probe the seafloor for crustaceans and small fish. Nocturnal and sedentary by day, it often rests in caves or beneath ledges, making it a reliable sighting on night dives or early morning explorations of reef systems across the Indo-Pacific.
Most likely to be seen at
Sites where its range and habitat make it likely — not yet confirmed by a logged sighting.