He's tiny, rare and needs a name – Meet SEA LIFE Scarborough's new baby shark
A critically endangered Short Tail Nurse Shark born at SEA LIFE Scarborough is making his public debut this Shark Week; and the aquarium is inviting the public to help choose his name.
The healthy male pup was born at the Scarborough aquarium on October 28 in 2025 to proud parents Persephone, who has lived at the aquarium for the past 20 years, and Hades. Both sharks are playing an important role in SEA LIFE's conservation programme.
To mark Shark Week running from July 26 to August 1, visitors and shark fans are being encouraged to vote for their favourite name via SEA LIFE Scarborough's Facebook and Instagram pages, with the winning name to be revealed after the public vote.
Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, this baby Short-Tail Nurse Shark belongs to one of the smallest nurse shark species. Unlike most sharks, they are docile and will happily snooze on the ocean floor, with the SEA LIFE team affectionately describing them as the lazy dogs of the ocean.
The youngster is thriving under the care of the expert animal care team, who carefully weigh and measure him every week to monitor his growth. The species grows slowly, meaning he'll remain in his nursery habitat alongside other captive-bred marine animals for some time yet.
Although he's still finding his fins, the young shark already has a favourite meal: krill and prawns, with prawns proving an irresistible treat at feeding time.
While he may only be little, the new addition represents something much bigger.
Populations of the species have estimated to have declined by around 80% over the past three decades.
These sharks call just a small corner of the Indian Ocean home, meaning any pressure on their habitat can have outsized consequences for their population.
Coastal reefs put them on the front line of fishing activity, making them highly vulnerable to accidental overfishing.
SEA LIFE is determined to protect these species by maintaining a genetically diverse population while raising awareness of the threats these remarkable creatures face in the wild.
Todd German, Curator at SEA LIFE Scarborough, said: "Welcoming a healthy Short Tail Nurse Shark is a fantastic achievement for our team and an important milestone for the conservation of this incredible species.
"Every successful birth helps strengthen the population of the species we are so determined to protect; we can't wait to see which name the public chooses. He's already captured the hearts of our team, and we're sure visitors will fall in love with him too.”
Voting for the shark's name will take place on SEA LIFE Scarborough's Facebook and Instagram pages during Shark Week.