Special for Angie

[DrRalph]

Some of us Central Floridians have posted periodically about boating and beaching at Disappearing Island, a sand bar just inside Ponce Inlet. Early last week a couple of teenagers were fishing just south of the Dunlawton Bridge in Port Orange and hooked something that dragged them 4 miles south to an area just east of the island. After several hours they managed to land a bull shark weighing about 450 lbs, which they sold to a local seafood house.

You can see how we handled the news this weekend...

[BahamaAngie]

OMG! When I saw this title....I just stared and was reluctant to open! I would imagine you would have been quite concerned after just relaxing in the water! Will that stop you or what? You don't seem too concerned, are the pictures before the news?

[DrRalph]

Originally Posted by BahamaAngie

You don't seem too concerned, are the pictures before the news?

No, those were taken yesterday.

[george p burdell]

Set that recorder.....don't miss a minute....SHARK WEEK starts on the Discovery Channel Sunday night. Everytime I see one of the ads, I think of one sweet person.

They say the more one knows about the enemy, the stronger and more powerful one is.....but I am in your camp, Angie. Why start a war when you can stay on the beach and drink a beer?

[gazeboman]

Originally Posted by george p burdell

..but I am in your camp, Angie. Why start a war when you can stay on the beach and drink a beer?

LOL I guess I should not post the picture I took yesterday ay Nippers beach then? What was that torpedo shaped shadow 10 feet off the edge of the water????

[BahamaAngie]

I heard about that shark off Nippers. It must be a regular because someone told my son about it and my friend's son-in-law saw it last Feb. He is a vet and not afraid of animals but he opted to wait before he went snorkeling there.

Dr. Ralph and his crew sure are brave. That water does not look that clear and I would be waiting for something to attack!!!

Better than sitting on the beach with a beer, we have been enjoying our pool tremendously this year with the heat we have had and enjoying g and t's with it! Cosmos are for cooler weather!

They had sharks in our waters more so this year. Maybe they are coming up more due to the oil spill. But thanks for sharing Dr. Ralph!!!!

[gazeboman]

Originally Posted by BahamaAngie

I heard about that shark off Nippers. It must be a regular because someone told my son about it and my friend's son-in-law saw it last Feb. He is a vet and not afraid of animals but he opted to wait before he went snorkeling there.

Sharks swimming the edge are pretty commonplace here-what I don't know is what kind of shark is it? I've tried to identify it but it won't let you get close. They spook easily and are sooo quick to disappear. Anyone know what kind of sharks they are?

[BahamaAngie]

They are reef sharks right? But what does that mean exactly?

[Marty]

Most likely its a grey reef shark or white tip reef shark. "Relatively" docile as sharks go. Still not to be messed with and approached with caution, if at all. VERY different from a bull shark. Those are nasty bastards.

Just showed my sons a video from several years back of me and my wife diving off Freeport. We were swarmed (literally) by grey reef sharks. We were diving at the site of the feedings, but not during a feeding. All of the sudden the sharks started materializing out of the blue. The coolest part is when I had to push one away with my video housing. Talk about a close-up shot.

[SamFamAustin]

Could be right ... it is hard to ID sharks unless you can pull it carefully onto the beach and examine the markings, fins, teeth, gills, and all that stuff. Could be a nurse shark for all I know. But reef sharks are known for being extremely timid, and only feast on small bony fish and scraps. Nurse sharks tend to be quite friendly, and some even rub their tummies!

Down here in Texas, we tend to call any shark a "sandbar shark" if we can't ID it as a bull, mako, or tiger, or something easy to ID. There are probably 4 kinds of "sandbar sharks" because they can look so much alike. I can imagine that it is a similar situation in the Bahamas.

[Mike from Boston]

Up to 6 Great Whites now hanging off Chatham's beaches on Cape Cod feeding on seals. Reported yesterday, they are coming within 100 yds of shore. Fisherman tagged one the other day. Kept circling his boat. About 16 ft. Swimmers have been advised not to swim with the seals. No brainer????

[Marty]

Do we have to have a shark discussion again??

Reef sharks are timid except when they are used to people/divers and/or being fed. If a shark is 'native' to the reef off of Nippers, I would think it is used to people being in the water and possibly some food being in the water from unenlightened people eating something while swimming or throwing the rest of their pig roast meal in the water. It also is likely to be resident around Fowl Cay where there are lots of divers and snorkelers.

Nurse sharks are very different from reef sharks, to those used to seeing them. They are more broad headed and brownish with a long thresher-like tail. Their eyes are small and more on top of a flatter head than the usual torpedo shaped sharks. They can be 'docile', but no sharks should be considered 'petable' by anyone other than trained experts. And even the sanity of them is questionable.

I am not trying to scare people out of the water. Just use caution and common sense.

I love sharks and very much enjoy being in the water with them, but I have been around them, dove with them, studied them, etc. and know a little more than the average person about their behavior (I am not an expert tho). My wife still thinks I'm crazy for wanting to free dive with Great Whites. But in the right environment, under the right circumstances, it can be done.

Originally Posted by SamFamAustin

Could be right ... it is hard to ID sharks unless you can pull it carefully onto the beach and examine the markings, fins, teeth, gills, and all that stuff. Could be a nurse shark for all I know. But reef sharks are known for being extremely timid, and only feast on small bony fish and scraps. Nurse sharks tend to be quite friendly, and some even rub their tummies!

Down here in Texas, we tend to call any shark a "sandbar shark" if we can't ID it as a bull, mako, or tiger, or something easy to ID. There are probably 4 kinds of "sandbar sharks" because they can look so much alike. I can imagine that it is a similar situation in the Bahamas.

[BahamaAngie]

Well Marty, apparently is shark week again and those buggers are turning up! Soooo, it is a controversial matter. You should like it being a "shark lover" just that expression gives me goose bumps!

I, personally, can't think of anything much more scarier than that except for medical issues! Those things are scary looking! It is amazing how you like to befriend them. Be careful, and enjoy!

It would be an instant heart attack for me if I encountered one....bad enough seeing one on tv!!!!

[Marty]

I don't know if I'd say 'befriend'. They are beautiful animals and I just can't get enough of being in their world.

But when I'm there, I'm not the top of the food chain anymore and that's a rush that's hard to explain.

[gazeboman]

I have tried many times to get a close up look at those sharks cruising the shoreline but they are incredibly shy. Yesterday I accidentally 'bumped" into one at a beach north of High Rocks. I Don't know who was startled more- me or the shark- but I am certain is was a grey reef shark about 4 1/2 ft. It happened so quick I did not get a picture!!

[BahamaAngie]

Omg!

[SamFamAustin]

hey 'Zebo I bump sharks all the time, and I think they're rather confused because any prey would take off at 40 miles an hour but being relaxed is best. The "bump test" is when a shark wants to see if you're good to eat. To a shark, people taste like pooh because we don't have fat like a seal or a fish, and plus we're not dead like a free offering. But your playful shark can sense micro-volts and knows exactly where you are and how big you are from your electrical field.

Sir, that was no "accident."

Sharks actually have very poor eyesight and unlike dolphins, have no echo-location at all. And true, they can smell blood and fatty oil in parts per billion, similar to a dog, which can cause they to work into a frenzy. But their ability to "see" an map out things by electrical voltage is nothing short of incredible - especially for a critter that hasn't evolved much since the dinosaur days.

By the way, whales, dolphins, porpoises, and killer whales do not like sharks either, since they eat their babies, so their defense is ... bubbles! Despite all the stuff about the whale species communicating by grunts and groans, they really talk bubbles most of the time. The bubbles have a certain electro-potential to them that confuses the shark, even enough so a Mama Dolphin can spear one in the belly (a favorite offensive and protective tactic). Larger whales use their tails to stun sharks and run them off - by making bubbles! The Killer Whale feeds by herding large schools of stuff and using bubbles. Scientists are doing lots of work on simple air bubbles, and how compression waves work underwater.

Well, I can't say I understand it right or know it right, but it all sounds fascinating to me!
sammie

[BahamaAngie]

Well, I am truly shark bait being overweight.....I guess if I decide to enter deeper water (NOT!) I could bring a bubble maker!!! Hee! Hee!