sharks

[LittleCreek]

I used to paddle my fishing kayak out on the Chesapeake bay 1-2 times week. Every now and then a 5-6 foot Sandbar shark, or a Sandbar Tiger shark would swim along side. I would nudge them away with my paddle. It was quite a shock the first time, but it became more amusing over time. I did see some really big shark fins out there when I was trolling for Cobia's, but they were never close enough to identify what species........those made me a little nervous.

The only real frights that I ever got were those darned dolphins. I would be trolling some lures and the dolphins would bust out of the water in front of me. I had a thermos cup of coffee go over the side once after being jolted me out of my serenity.....lol. They are really beautiful creatures.

I know this isn't a answer to your question....but I thought it was fun to throw out there.

 

[Chris Patterson]

Possibly I jumped in prematurely. I did not read the comments and never do. I could post a picture of grandma eating cake, and some ahole will have something rude to say about it..my bad. Back to the Sharks. Poke him with a stick, they'll go away..

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

After reading the responses some which are urge caution and others funny, Sharks are predators and just like humans, they must sustain themselves in order to live. I always told my customers knowledge was very important to include knowing where you sail. It amazes me that still many do not which is baffling to me.

A good example. If you are going to hike in the woods, there are certain items to take with you, precautions to know, etc... Once my daughter walked in between a mother bear and her cub. I had told her to look at the mother bear speaking softly walking backwards never taking her eye off which she did and that bear sensed no need for further action. Recently around the corner, a woman was attacked by a bear at Douthat State Park all because she saw a bear, turned and ran screaming out of fear which she was attacked. Minor injuries but the bear was caught and put down.

Folks, we can be funny or serious but I prefer Knowing my surroundings and preventative measures to enjoy life. That includes knowing the habits of sharks.

 

[Colts Fan]

Good advice

As long as you stay in the boat when/if you see sharks, there can be no problem. Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico have many different kinds of sharks; I have seen a few off the coast of Florida.. We've not had any problem with aggressive or strange acting critters. This includes scrubbing boat bottoms out at sea and bathing at sea. We do usually have a shark watch person while doing those activities offshore, but have not had to stop activities because of them. We do not swim during feeding times.. that is at night or early morning or evening. Don't wear jewelry that sparkles while swimming; don't swim when you see schools of disturbed bait fish; don't swim around people who are fishing or boats that are sorting fish..

Very sound advice. My boat [45 ft Hunter] is docked in Marco Island.
There are absolutely bull sharks all along the coast of Florida. They breed in the mouth of the Mississippi and swim around to about Jacksonville and further north. Bull sharks are very aggressive and dangerous.
But, don't swim at night and around bait fish and fishing boats. I don't want to fan the flames of fear here, but caution is always warranted.