Compass Cay's marina, about ten miles north of Staniel, has become famous for the resident pack of nurse sharks that hang around the dock waiting to be fed. They are large — up to three metres — slow, and effectively harmless: nurse sharks have small mouths and a vacuum-like feeding style designed for crustaceans, not swimmers.
You can walk into the water from the dock and float among them. It is unnerving and entirely safe if you keep your hands away from their mouths. The cay charges a per-person fee that includes use of the trails, beaches and freshwater showers; bring cash, there is no credit card machine.