Shark Attack

[Carter]

We live in CA but visit whenever we can; we rented Dune Allen last week 18th-25th directly across from 'downtown' dune allen 30-a (sounds like we were neighbors for a wekk LandLocked - we were in "INN-Spire-D" - a Rivard rental, great property by the way). On Thurs 23rd, my wife was only 25' out in the gulf (4' deep) when a crowd came running down the beach yelling 'get out of water - shark!!' She did and shortly after she watched as a "5'-6' shark silently glided right through the very spot I had just been standing minutes before".

In seven years of annual trips to SoWal area we have never seen this. I have read this whole thread hoping to get a sense for how 'normal' or abnormnal this is. I think I am getting sense there is a bit more than normal activity now? As soon as we heard the heartbreaking news on Sat, we immediately thought 'I wonder if that was the same shark we saw so close to shore?'.

Then on Fri, i jogged down beach and recreational surfcaster (who nealry hooked this jogger with a cast) in blue mntn said he had just seen a shark about 100' out.

We intuitivly know there are always sharks out there, but we have always stayed 'inside the bar' and we have not seen them and I dcan't remember much mention of others seeing them.

Then my neighbor sends me this picture of a sark just off shore on Mirimar bch on Sunday

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050625154309990001&ncid=NWS00010000000001

I guess my question to the locals is; Outside of the clearly abnormal attack on the girl, is this apparent multitude if sightings/incidents all of us being hyper-aware because of the tragic incident and the activity is more or less 'normal'? Or not?. Thanks for any input.

(Kurt, on a side note, I went to CNN.com as soon as I was in front of a compuetr after hearing the news and only got about two sentences on the topic with "No further details available" at the bottom. Then I realized I was not thinking and logged onto graytonbeach.com. Next time I'll skip the cnn step!)

 

[SoWalSally]

http://rl.channel.aol.com/natgeo?id=20050614120909990001

National Geographic:

(June 13, 2005) -- The United States averages just 16 shark attacks each year and slightly less than one shark-attack fatality every two years. Meanwhile, in the coastal U.S. states alone, lightning strikes and kills more than 41 people each year.

Which just goes to show that sharks enjoy a reputation that is arguably more fearsome than their bite.

Each year there are about 50 to 70 confirmed shark attacks and 5 to 15 shark-attack fatalities around the world. The numbers have risen over the past several decades but not because sharks are more aggressive: Humans have simply taken to coastal waters in increasing numbers.

Over 375 shark species have been identified, but only about a dozen are considered particularly dangerous. Three species are responsible for most human attacks: great white (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier), and bull (Carcharhinus leucas) sharks.


While sharks kill fewer than 20 people a year, their own numbers suffer greatly at human hands. Between 20 and 100 million sharks die each year due to fishing activity, according to data from the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File. The organization estimates that some shark populations have plummeted 30 to 50 percent.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Because you can handle a gator 2 out of 15 times.

That has not stopped me from coming back. As I said, I ain't scared, win or lose.

 

[Kurt]

That has not stopped me from coming back. As I said, I ain't scared, win or lose.

Tell the truth now. Don't you wish you had a different mascot?

 

[Kurt]

I guess my question to the locals is; Outside of the clearly abnormal attack on the girl, is this apparent multitude if sightings/incidents all of us being hyper-aware because of the tragic incident and the activity is more or less 'normal'? Or not?. Thanks for any input.

(Kurt, on a side note, I went to CNN.com as soon as I was in front of a compuetr after hearing the news and only got about two sentences on the topic with "No further details available" at the bottom. Then I realized I was not thinking and logged onto graytonbeach.com. Next time I'll skip the cnn step!)

I'm pasting this post from Fox earlier in the thread:

.... sharks are in our waters all the time and rarely bother people. Most are harmless sand sharks. It's doubtful that the average beach goer would know the difference between a bull and other types of sharks.

Many times people mistake dolphins for sharks, but more often Cobia are mistaken for sharks. Cobia swimming look exactly like a shark to the average person.

Here's a pic of a Cobia:

Cobia swim near the shore a good bit.

 

[alic65]

I just read the post from Carter.....Thursday was the day we saw a dark shadow swimming down the beach about 75' out in Blue Mountain Beach where we stayed. Everyone got out of the water as well.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Tell the truth now. Don't you wish you had a different mascot?

No, I cannot hug or play with a tiger/eagle, elephant, gator, gamecock,etc.

On another note, if we played a team called the Florida Sharks, I would be a little scared, but I would never approve of us playing them in the Swamp or Gulf, only between the Hedges.

 

[Kurt]

It's not a league of loveable mascots. Unless you count the Mickey Mouse versions, or the Commodore.

 

[chikida]

I'll be around so maybe I will bump into you. I don't know Edmund. Maybe I will meet him one day too.

We're renting the Walker house the week of the 4th. Ed is usually in his black SUV at sunrise. He and his wife live right on the lake. They've been pretty active with conservation efforts and doing what they can to limit construction for 20 years. We've seen so many changes over the years.

Back on topic it sounds like the boy will pull through less one leg unfortunately, but considering the alternative he made out okay. I still wonder if it was a shark he had on the line or a different one.

 

[chrisv]

Joe, you're a Dawg?! I never knew, thought I was the lone k9 down this way. Woof woof woof!