swimming with the sharks in st lucie

[Dan]

so, i think i understand why i had so much empty beach on saturday... the ranger warned us about the sharks sunday; i have not had a chance to go through all the pics- but i am fairly sure that i got quite a few sillhouttes in the freaking surf zone. it wasn't exactly an amazing surf day and they left with the high tide. so, i still got lots of little waves- good stuff. rest assured i will go through those pics... the one bull i saw i think i got a decent picture of... we will see.:eek:
peace, dan

[Sprocket]

Welcome to FLorida.....

[Sprocket]

Actually, Dan the area you surf regularly about 4 miles south is known for it's shark population, just be glad the water is clear

[Dan]

you are by no means the first to mention this- but seeing them lined up and the spinners jumping 30 yds out instead of a quarter mile makes you think... and this is a first for me to see them in the surf zone- i believe there is a pretty big difference between knowing and seeing. the bulls worry me because they do not have the best eyesight and are like a big grey death-tubes. as i said, as soon as the tide receeded, no more sharks (that i could see- which means no more sharks... haha!)
i just think that the odds (the most important word in this sentence) are much greater for me having a problem on the way to the beach rather than in the water... which is why i am sunburnt and sore today.
i agree on the clear water, by the way!
peae, dan

[oceanpotion]

man, i was out at pecks lake murdering mackeral on sunday and man... i saw some monsters. big old bulls cruising around. round like a keg dude. theyre scary for shore. ive heard stories of bulls biting the back of the boat, hitting the prop, and coming back for more. whitebellybrown

[Sprocket]

I was surfing my home break before in knee high slop and looked down and a 6 foot Nurse was sniffing my feet. I mean he was just there with his nose about and inch away from my left foot. I of corse rapidly retracted the landing gear and lay on my board looking at 'em. Casually turned and qith a swoosh of the tail was gone.....Glad he/she only likes sushi!

You like big fat sharks popping up nxt to ya go surf New Symrna Inlet. EVERY time I have surfed there have seen a over 5 foot shark with in 10 yards of me....

[oceanpotion]

Holy cow.. I woulda had a heart attack on the nurse encounter.

[Madame of Fact]

Nurse sharks are harmless. 2Fresh and I saw them at Scripps Aquarium and the information said that Nurse sharks were mistakenly killed almost to extinction. They just lay around on the bottom and chill out. I think I have photos.

[Madame of Fact]

I'm sorry that's Birch Aquarium at the Scripps OI.

Here's an image of a Nurse.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d190/misstennant/nurse.jpg

[Dan]

the last thing i want is to point out that one of the most docile sharks will happily eat yr foot... but here we go, per the fla museum of natural history-
Mainly non-aggressive, generally will swim away when approached. However, some unprovoked attacks on swimmers and divers have been reported. If disturbed it may bite with a powerful vice-like grip capable of inflicting serious injury. In some instances, jaws release was accomplished only after using surgical instruments. The frequency of bites has increased recently as a result of ecotourism feeding operations. :eek:
on the w coast (sanibel area) we used to see hundreds and hundreds of them; they are beautiful- but if i step on anything, i kind of expect to be bitten.
again, per the museum...
A large number of males generally try to mate with a single female, often leading to females bearing numerous scars and bruises from male bites. Females frequently try to avoid contact with males by swimming in very shallow water, where they can bury their pectoral fins in the sand.
sounds like some guys and girls i know...
peace, dan

[Sprocket]

well if he wanted a snack he'd of had it. yeah scared the crap out of me when I saw him. then he didn't move for a second and I thought maybe it is a manateee, then he swooshed his tail and I knew my first assumption was correct.

EVERY single time I have seen a shark on my surfboard they were either swimming away from me already or just not interested in me. Trust me if they wnt to bite you you will not stop them and most likely by the time you realize you are bitten they have let go alreay.

If not then you have a bigger problem :)

[Sprocket]

Sharks I have seen while surfing:

Nurse
Bull
Reef,
white tip,
Sand bar,
spinner,
Lemon

Thank god I've not seen WHitey

[Madame of Fact]

The bullshark is the most dangerous because a male has the same amount of testosterone as a bull elephant... but the fact that whites are jumping out of water is frightening!

How big was the bull sprocket??? I'm a marine bio nerd.. .love it all.

[oceanpotion]

How did you tell the difference between the sandbar and bull? Did the sandbar have raptor type pec wings on it or what?

I wanna make some shark fin soup out of a Bull and hit the gym after hearing that, MOF

[Madame of Fact]

How did you tell the difference between the sandbar and bull? Did the sandbar have raptor type pec wings on it or what?

I wanna make some shark fin soup out of a Bull and hit the gym after hearing that, MOF

huh?

Take a picture of yourself at the gym. It's officially my job to track the fitness of all of you fine boys. lol.

[40thStreet]

i know someone who got bit by a lemon shark years ago in the bahamas. it was a fishing trip and he reeled the shark in and it came of the hook and flapped around on the deck of the boat and ended up taking a chunk out of my friends dad. he had to get 60 stitches.

[Sprocket]

How did you tell the difference between the sandbar and bull? Did the sandbar have raptor type pec wings on it or what?


THe Sandbar's Dorsal is tall and pointy and it's back seems to be taller.
Like from the nose to the dorsal has more of a rise. I thought it was a bull at first but a local and friend of mine I was out with pointed out the difference. Seen several times in Cocoa.

Not intimidated very easily either.

MOF the Bull I saw was about 5 or 6 feet and thick. He surfaced about 3 or 4 feet away from me at New Symyrna inlet. I'm just sitting there and then the dorsal comes up like a periscope. straight up and the whole back up out of the water like the USS Youronthemenu. I froze didn't move a muscle and he just sank back down not to be seen again. The water was opaque, and for once I got 'vibed' out of the lineup by a local, lol. Packed my **** right up and drove away. I mean I could have leaned over and petted the damn thing.

[Madame of Fact]

Great story, Sprocket. "USS youreonthemenu" lol. That's a big bull.

[oceanpotion]

THe Sandbar's Dorsal is tall and pointy and it's back seems to be taller.
Like from the nose to the dorsal has more of a rise. I thought it was a bull at first but a local and friend of mine I was out with pointed out the difference. Seen several times in Cocoa.

Not intimidated very easily either.

MOF the Bull I saw was about 5 or 6 feet and thick. He surfaced about 3 or 4 feet away from me at New Symyrna inlet. I'm just sitting there and then the dorsal comes up like a periscope. straight up and the whole back up out of the water like the USS Youronthemenu. I froze didn't move a muscle and he just sank back down not to be seen again. The water was opaque, and for once I got 'vibed' out of the lineup by a local, lol. Packed my **** right up and drove away. I mean I could have leaned over and petted the damn thing.


Oh thats cool sprocket, your boy must've had a good eye. I think the sandbars have "jumbo, raptoral type, pectoral wing looking fins," too. They are what the commercial guys are looking to get... because the fins are worth so much more than the actual meat. I think its something crazy such as $12?/lb. on fins and like $.45/lb. on the meat.. not sure but something ridiculous like that.

[Madame of Fact]

I was eaten by a shark once.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d190/misstennant/IMG_0371-1.jpg?t=1168477998
On a more serious note, I hope they use the shark for much more than their fins... that's not good for the oceans to kill the creatures that maintain such a large part of ecological balance.

[Dan]

i hvae got some bad news... per wikopedia
According to wildlife conservationists, much of the trade in sharks' fins is derived from fins cut from living sharks; this process is called finning.[14] Because shark meat is worth very little, the finless and often still-living sharks are thrown back into the sea to make room on board ship for more of the valuable fins.
greed is the one that is going to get us...

[oceanpotion]

You got to have the carcASS to sell the fins 'round here.