SHARKS BARRACUDAS AND THE TREASURE BEACHES

deepsix47 · May 22, 2007

I guess the only reason I'm really writing this is that I'm kind of bored with seeing posts that the questions of Sharks come up but no one really takes the time to address the safety rules concerning them.

There are Sharks out there without a doubt and a flight over most of the popular swimming beaches here in Florida on a sunny, crowded day would probably be enough to convince many not to go in the water again. They are there, we are in their domain, so it's a good idea to learn the safety rules concerning them.

I work the water a lot and over the years have been close to a couple of sharks (through away the swim trunks as to hopeless to clean once....lol) but for the most part, most beach hunters will never see one (just stay away from the fishermen that are standing hip deep and hauling fish after fish into them. We call them shark magnets!!!!).

Have you ever just been walking along, minding your own business, enjoying the typical beach scenery, listning to the buzz of your headphones and suddenly some kids start squealing about the massive school of bait fish that are suddenly doing Mach 2 through the water all around them and very importantly also, you. STOP what you are doing, become very attentive and carefully look around you. If you aren't wearing a good pair of polarized sun glasses you should be.

Just moments before all of those little guys (the bait fish) had been just lazing out and enjoying their day just as you had. The question that should be going through your head is what is making them run so suddenly. It isn't for exercise. Now it could be just a hungry Snook but it could also be a Barracuda (you are far more likely to run into one of these toothy critters) or a Shark.

The following are the personal rules that I follow:

1) Stay out of the water if the bait fish are running (not just the occasional school but when they are everywhere). Sharks and Barracuda come with them, are feeding on them and you might just be in the way.

2) Stay out of the water at night. Sharks in particular tend to feed at night close to shore.

3) Murky water is also a no-no for me but I have been known to violate this one in areas that I know are good hunting. Not very smart on my part I know but the lure of Treasure is a strong one.

4) I also tend to stay out of the water in the very early mornings and late evenings as I have seen many sharks very close into the beaches in these hours. I started to violate this one once and was about waist deep when a big Lemon cruised by within arms length in front of me and twice more just as close before I got back to the beach. It actually bumped my detector wand on the last pass (please refer above to the soiled swim trunks incident).

5) Should you have an encounter DO NOT PANIC!!!! Panic kills. Keep your cool, keep an eye on where the critter is if possible and slowly make your way up to the beach. I might add here that it will give you a sense of comfort if you keep your detector wand between you and it but what good that would actually do is up for debate.

Remember that despite the movie image, Sharks are not out there specifically looking for you. They are doing what nature designed them to do, clean up the sick, dieing and dead from our oceans. When people are out enjoying their day at the beach they are splashing around and moving like wounded fish. If they are in a school of bait fish the shark is coming in blind and hits them by accident. For those of us that surf, always remember that from below we look remarkably like a sea lion (the sharks favorite meal) when stretched out or sitting on our boards.

Keep in mind also that more often then not, so called shark attacks actually turn out later to be Barracuda attacks (a fact that the news papers rarely, if ever, follow up and print as Shark attack headlines sell more papers).

Barracudas (unlike sharks in my opinion) are a far more dangerous critter and far more common to encounter. Anything that flashes in the water will draw their attention. rings, bracelets, necklaces, STAINLES STEEL DIGGING SCOUPS, will all attract them if flashing and they are always out there. Each time I see one a particular point always impresses me. They seem to have this perpetual grin that seems to be saying "I know where my next meal is coming from".

Statistically, here in Florida you have a far greater chance of being hit by lightning then by a Shark or Barracuda. As always, common sense and being observant are your best protection. Have fun, be observant and find lots of treasure.
Deepsix

Sandman · May 22, 2007

Very good advice on sharks. Many hunters don't think they will run into them but you will. Being prepared is better than reading about it later from your wheel chair if your lucky enough to have enough left to sit in one. Neilo knows them well as He's from down under where they get really big.

Ocaliman · May 22, 2007

I have to say, that after 20+ years as a diver, and dealing with all types of marine and aquatic life, this post has some of the best, most concise, and easy to understand advice that I have ever seen. Good Job!!

surfrat96 · May 23, 2007

Excellent advice. I've been surfing for over 40yrs, several yrs as a Pro in my younger days. I've seen many sharks over the yrs and have known several friends bitten, but not fatal or no limbs lost.

When I see a school of bait fish, I get out immediatly until it looks clear. When I get into the water at dawn to hunt, I've always got that Jaws tune going on in the back of my head and tend to see shadows all the time in the water! LOL!

Great Post for water hunters!

HH 8) surfrat

capt_t · May 23, 2007

great advice deepsix, the following link came out of the shipwreck forum from awhile back, some picts, more advice, although most for us divers. go check it out here.
capt_t

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,65858.0.html

txkickergirl · May 23, 2007

really great post. when I read the part about keeping the detector between you and the shark an image of the detector beeping went through my head beeping at the shark because his last victim had jewelry on.. I know I am one sick puppy

JoeinMemphis · May 23, 2007

Thank you for this post. I am going to Destin in July, and *was* planning to do a bunch of night hunting so I wouldn't have to deal with people. You changed that, I hadn't even thought about sharks and the other nasties. I think I will stick to morning and evening hunts when I can SEE. Thank you for the bait fish tip!! HH Joe

deepsix47 · May 23, 2007

txkickergirl said:
really great post. when I read the part about keeping the detector between you and the shark an image of the detector beeping went through my head beeping at the shark because his last victim had jewelry on.. I know I am one sick puppy

LMAO!!!! That is sick. I love it.
Deepsix

deepsix47 · Jun 18, 2007

surfrat96 said:
Excellent advice. I've been surfing for over 40yrs, several yrs as a Pro in my younger days. I've seen many sharks over the yrs and have known several friends bitten, but not fatal or no limbs lost.

When I see a school of bait fish, I get out immediatly until it looks clear. When I get into the water at dawn to hunt, I've always got that Jaws tune going on in the back of my head and tend to see shadows all the time in the water! LOL!

Great Post for water hunters!

HH 8) surfrat

Isn't it amazing that after all of these years that tune is embedded in the back reaches of our minds....Lol.

I loved that movie. I was in California at the time and we used to to a lot of spearfishing. Almost overnight the water was deserted. I picked up enough dive equipment I could have started my own dive shop....lol. The kelp beds (my favorite spearfishing spots) were virtually empty. You could actually spend the day working them and not wonder if some idiot was going to mistake you for a fish (it happened a number of times. Fortunately their aim was as bad as their eyesight).
Deepsix

Sandman · Jun 18, 2007

I hear that tune anytime I get in the water, fresh or salt.

really great post. when I read the part about keeping the detector between you and the shark an image of the detector beeping went through my head beeping at the shark because his last victim had jewelry on.. I know I am one sick puppy

Next shark that comes near me an it beeps, I will always wonder if it was a Rolex.

Rowdy · Jun 18, 2007

Deepsix,

Thanks for all the tips, but I think I'll stick to dealing with the bears and snakes here in the mountains!

spez401 · Jun 19, 2007

I remember one saturday afternoon when I was in college, my cousin and I were going night diving for lobsters. Jaws was on in the afternoon, and of course I sat down and watched it... Well... 6 hours later, in the dark of night, we hop off the rocks in Jamestown, RI and swim out a few feet before decending down the 30' wall. Visibility up here is 6' to 10' on a really good day... so as we decended, all I can see is the backscatter from my light and the beam from my cousin just above me.

That damn theme started playing in my head as soon as I hit the water.

A good friend of mine is a marine biologist. I remember him telling me how many sharks are actually in the water (although most are harmless). He said "If people knew how many sharks were in the water, they wouldn't go to the beach". So... when working the surf, make sure you don't have anything shiny dangling from your body... and look for the little fishies... they are running away from something.

Oh... and the best piece of advice ever... if a shark is bothering you, make sure you punch him in the face... and when that doesn't work, you can poke him in the eye with your bloody stump, and swim away in the masking cloud of blood.

rob2646 · Jun 19, 2007

this is a subject that really makes me cringe..I'm a white shark attack survivor, My dreams are still filled with the attack...I dont know if I'll ever get over it. really huge white sharks regularly cruise in 6 foot of water...Its the luck of the draw I guess...I could do nothing to stop it as i never saw him until I was in his jaws and saw his eye. My right hand was lacerated and I was gashed in the buttock ...Imagine a locomotive hitting you with massive teeth..thats how it was..unbelivable power, iguess all sharks have that..

I wont dive or surf anymore but still like to water hunt the shallows.

wreckdiver1715 · Jun 19, 2007

Dive rule #1 - Never dive alone, always have a dive buddy.

Shark encounter rule #1 - You don't have to be faster than the shark to get away - You just have to be faster than your dive buddy.

Tom

deepsix47 · Jun 19, 2007

wreckdiver1715 said:
Dive rule #1 - Never dive alone, always have a dive buddy.

Shark encounter rule #1 - You don't have to be faster than the shark to get away - You just have to be faster than your dive buddy.

Tom

Isn't that the truth (it works well for bears, big cats, vicious dogs and other predators as well)....lol.

dahut · Jun 22, 2007

When I lived in the Keys, I skin-dived a lot and shark encounters were constant. I can't add more than has been said. One thing I used to do when I knew the shark was there was to submerge to his level, eye-to-eye, if you will. I sometimes carried a fend stick at my waist, depending on where I was at, although I rarely needed it. Just being under water and no longer splashing at the surface seemed to diffuse the sharks attitude. But then, these were only 4-6 foot greys and reefers and we were often in areas far from the crowded beaches.

Another shark I regularly encountered were nurse sharks. I did a research project on sharks way back in college and learned that more people are harmed by nursies than any other. I recall one story of a girl that was bitten and dragged off by a large nursie in Iraq, 50 miles upriver from the ocean. It seemed her father had pulled the car into the river to wash it - the girl was in only 2 feet of water when she disturbed the nurse shark and was attacked. She survived, AFAIR. But for us, here in US coastal waters, the same danger exists, that is, stepping on them! So watch your footing and shuffle your feet. This applies to rays, as well.

As for barracudas, I wouldn't worry over them too much - I used to dive in the mangrove shallows after snapper and barracudas always showed up. They always minded their own business, too, for the most part. I DID have to be careful once I had speared a fish, though, that I got it up out of the water on the end of my spear and ashore quickly. I learned that after spearing one of my first fish. I was under water gawking at the thing squirming around on my spear tip (things always look bigger under water!), when a large barracuda flashed in and severed it. He left me only the head.

In the surf, avoid wearing anything dangly or shiny on your person as this attracts them and triggers an attack on the "lure" you are wearing. Also, dont trail anything behind you in the water. I once had a 4 footer attack and shred my spear's power band as I finned lazily along, trailing my spear.