Beloved 220-pound shark known for hiding at NC aquarium mysteriously dies, staff says

The death of a nurse shark is being mourned after the 220-pound predator died of unknown causes at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

Nursey, as the shark was known, was notorious for hiding during his 16-year stay in the aquarium’s “Graveyard of the Atlantic” habitat, staff said. The facility is in Manteo, about a 190-mile drive east from Raleigh.

“Because nurse sharks are nocturnal, he could often be found in the replica shipwreck,” aquarium officials wrote in an Aug. 19 Facebook post.

“Guests and staff enjoyed his lazy swims along the sand and seeing him peek out from the wreck. He will be missed.”

A cause of death isn’t yet known. Nursey was 22 years old, “nearing the natural lifespan of nurse sharks,” officials said.

“Members of the animal care and veterinary teams performed a medical exam last week. The exam was successful, but Nursey’s recovery from the exam did not go as expected,” the aquarium said.

“Eventually, he became unresponsive and passed away. The animal care and veterinary teams did all they could to help him recover and are heartbroken by the outcome. ... We do not yet know the cause of his decline.”

A necropsy was performed and samples were taken for testing, officials said.

Nursey was 7 feet, 7 inches long and the only nurse shark on display at the facility. Nurse sharks can reach 9 feet and are known to be slow, sluggish and prone to spending “much of their time resting on the ocean’s bottom,” according to the National Aquarium.

“They show a strong preference for certain resting sites, repeatedly returning to the same spot after hunting for food,” the National Aquarium says.

Nursey came to the aquarium in 2008 from the Virginia Aquarium, officials said. He was fed three times a week, and the menu consisted of capelin, squid, mahi, sardines and mackerel.

Social media commenters on the shark’s obituary noted he had a devoted following, despite being tough to see.

“Nursey was a very loved shark,” Emma Arnette Denney wrote.

“I only saw him a handful of times, but every time I got a glimpse of Nursey was a treat. Most times I did not see him, but a few visits ago I did get to see a glimpse of him stirring within the shipwreck, like some kind of deep-sea leviathan,” Cheyne Runnells posted.

“What a beautiful ambassador. I’m certain sharks have a Rainbow Reef that’s the most perfect swim ever,” Claudia Hurd said.

This story was originally published August 22, 2024 at 6:24 AM with the headline "Beloved 220-pound shark known for hiding at NC aquarium mysteriously dies, staff says."