Swimming With Sharks on Compass Cay

The Caribbean is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts looking for pristine beaches, world-class diving, snorkel, and of course, swimming with sharks. Before you start imagining swimming with the Jaws, you should know that the Great White is not in the game. What I'm talking about here is swimming with the gentle nurse sharks that don't feed on humans. Although there is a moment of fear when only even thinking of doing this, in reality, swimming with these animals is not dangerous, if a couple of main rules are followed. 

In Exumas at Compass Cay, you can stand in the shallow water while schools of nurse sharks swim by you, touching you with their fins. Without a cage or a diving tank, you can see these seven-foot-long predators who are not interested in munching human flesh, which makes them friendly to us almost at a pet level. 

Nurse sharks have a scary appearance like any other shark species, but they are not attacking humans. At Compass Cay they even float near the marina and let people pet them, which feels kind of weird after petting a cat or a dog. 

The nurse sharks at Compass Cay were brought by the marina owner, and they are considered as their pets, except the family is expanding fast. However, these sharks are fed by their owners and that is one of the main reasons why they're not interested in attacking people, but like to hang out instead. 

If you ever decide to take a tour to Compass Cay and swim with the sharks, have in mind to only pet them on their backs, never around the mouth, and keep your hands out of the water while they're eating. 

If you have an open wound, stay away from them as all sharks are attracted by blood smell. Good luck!