Shark Question

[mikecat adjuster]

I went out in my kayak yesterday, fairly far into the gulf, but not too far. There were other kayakers in the area, all fishing. I guess it was the area out there where the water takes on a very pretty hue.

Anyway, I hopped out of my kayak and wasn't seeing much, other than the really huge jelly fish everywhere. As I carefull navigated through them, something huge caught my eye and I naturally focused on it. My first impulse, and fear, was that the large object was a shark. I've loved snorkling all of my life and had never encountered a body of this size, except for a manatee.

Thankfully, it was not a shark, but rather, a large tarpon. I would have never thought in a million years that I would have a tarpon swim by me. I don't know how deep the water was there. But it was rather a rather majestic sight to see something moving through the water like it did. I'm not sure how long I was able to view it. It may have been 8 seconds or so before it was lost in the blue. Maybe less. But it did make me think...

I know shark attacks are rare, but just like lightning attacks, perhaps it is because we limit our exposure to such events fairly well. After all, I didn't see anyone else in that depth. I know it can happen in the shallows, but just as I've never seen a tarpon while snorkling in the shallows, I'm sure the bigger sharks are in the depth I was in too. The kayak made it easy to get out there quickly.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone, particularly a diver, might have some valuable insight into this. I have seen shows with divers actually swimming, purposely with sharks. I just wonder. I may go out again today. If you don't hear from me again, perhaps I should have waited for the answer

 

[Kurt]

Hope to hear back from you about another fun outing!

 

[bluemtnrunner]

Hmmm Tarpon are about 4-6 feet long, humans are 5-6 feet long.
Sharks LOVE Tarpon
Man swims with tarpon and hungry shark comes for dinner....I don't think it will care which one it bites.

I've been diving around sharks but not on purpose and I had the advantage of an on board air source so I knew I could hug the bottom if necessary (maybe that was a false sense of security). IMO snorkeling leaves you on the surface and I would think more vulnerable to getting hit. From what I have read over the years, sharks are prone to tasting people and spitting them back out....my advice, stay in kayak!!!! Keep your hands and feet inside the boat!
G'luck to you and don't forget, leave a float plan.

 

[IRIETYMES]

Some folks in a gray Hobie kayak were fishng out a bit from the Inlet Beach access and at about an hour before dusk started to maneuver back to the beach towing some big thin...turns out to be a Nure Shark, big one, too, and those ijits brought it in so people could see it, touch it, snap a photo of it, then, they started to take it back out....poor damn animal...I hope it made it.This was on July 4th.

 

[mikecat adjuster]

I ended up not going out today. My friends wife swears that I will meet my end soon with all of the adventures that she hears of. I think I'm pretty safe. I'm kinda a scaredy cat really. But at the same time I love adventure. I guess I could just lean over the side of my kayak with my mask on and survey under there. I don't know. That seems ineefficient.

I did see that interesting thread about the whales washing up and the cookie-cutter shark deal. Interesting. Such a waste by those pesky little sharks to kill such a big fish and only tear off a little meal. Not conservationists I assume.

 

[Bobby J]

I think the odds of you getting bit by a shark are so rare that I would bet your chances of getting killed by a vending machine are greater. Keep your eyes open and enjoy the waters. There have been 2 attacks ever recorded in the waters of Walton county.

 

[Smiling JOe]

The last death by a shark bite in this area (Miramar Bch), the girl was reportedly out near that second sandbar. I recall reading a law which prohibits people from swimming too far off shore, something like 300 or 500 ft.

FYI- blumtnrunner hit the nail on the head, sharks love to eat tarpon. Search Google video for "Tarpon and shark." There are plenty of videos on them. The Tarpon are heading east right now, and will be hanging out over in the Port St Joe area for a while.

On a similar swimming/shark story, my brother's friends were out fishing around the Cape San Blas area two years ago. They said it was hot as hell, and one was saying that he was going to jump in because the water looked so refreshing. He didn't jump in the water (probably something to do with not drinking enough beer, or watching JAWS too many times as a kid), but they said about ten minutes later, a 9-12 ft HammerHead swam right under the boat, freaking them all out.

Sharks love being where the food is, and the food typically hangs out along the northern and southern drops of that second sand bar. I doubt the smaller sharks will mess with you too much, but I'd hate to run into a 10ft Bull Shark or Hammerhead out there. My kayaks are less than 10ft in length, and I've paddled along beside, but not too close, a couple of 6-7ft Bull Sharks, which was pretty cool, but I'd be a little concerned if they were longer than my boats. Tigers, Bulls, and Hammerheads are out there, and I don't want to tempt them too much.

EDIT:
Here is the law:
Walton County Code of Ordinances
ARTICLE III. BEACH AND WATER SAFETY VEHICLE AND VESSEL CONTROL
Sec. 22-40. Regulation of use and conduct on the beach.
(e) Swimming. No person except a person actually engaged ina rescue attempt shall:

(1) Swim or bathe within 150 feet measured in any direction from a pier or jetty, in the Gulf of Mexico;

(2) Swim or bathe in any area posted exclusively for vessel and/or sailcraft use.


(f) Use of rafts, floats, and other flotation devices. Noperson shall:

(1) Use any raft, float, body board, or other flotation device of any description, except for a vessel or sailcraft, more than 500 feet from the water's edge.

 

[mikecat adjuster]

Interesting stuff. Yes, there are plenty smaller fish closer in, and I know from my fishing history that fish like edges and structure. That tarpon was along the outside egde where it began to get deeper. It was a rush to see. Not something I expected.

The point I was wondering and mentioned, was that while attacks are rare, I wonder how much it has to do with us staying raltively shallow. Intersting about the possible law about how far out you can swim. I guess I could bring my flouner gig out there and if a big bull comes at me, I have a defense. That is, if I see him before he see me. The tapon didn't seem flustered by me. My biceps might need some work.

 

[JustaLocal]

EDIT:
Here is the law:
Walton County Code of Ordinances
ARTICLE III. BEACH AND WATER SAFETY VEHICLE AND VESSEL CONTROL
Sec. 22-40. Regulation of use and conduct on the beach.
(e) Swimming. No person except a person actually engaged ina rescue attempt shall:

(1) Swim or bathe within 150 feet measured in any direction from a pier or jetty, in the Gulf of Mexico;

(2) Swim or bathe in any area posted exclusively for vessel and/or sailcraft use.


(f) Use of rafts, floats, and other flotation devices. Noperson shall:

(1) Use any raft, float, body board, or other flotation device of any description, except for a vessel or sailcraft, more than 500 feet from the water's edge.

That doesn't make any sense. There would have to be an exception if you fall out of a vessel, right?

 

[Smiling JOe]

There appear to be some gaps in the law. It doesn't seem to include swimmers without flotation devices. That may be addressed in other sections of the Code. As for falling out of a boat, that might be construed as being "engaged in a (self) rescue attempt," covered in section (e) Swimming.