Ever Seen a Shark?

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Once on a FL beach, caught by a fisherman wading in the water about 100 yards from us. Was about 4ft long. Last time I’ve been in the ocean. 

[Augie]

 

When we lived in Hilton Head, SC a buddy was fishing at South Beach. A nice young family on vacation walked by and asked Joe “what are you fishing for?” He responds truthfully “sharks”. The next sound is “Billy, GET OUT OF THE WATER!!!”

 

When we lived in Sarasota I was flying home next to a college girl visiting her grandmother for spring break and looking out the window as we were about to land along the coast. She was enjoying the lovely view of the white sand beaches and the aqua waters. I asked her if she had a guess what all the little black dots were moving in the water near the shore. Hint: they are NOT dolphins.  I doubt she got into the wet sand on that trip. 

 

Because of where we lived for so many years, I’ve seen a lot of sharks. They usually want nothing to do with you, but there’s always a chance. In the Atlantic I hated things brushing up against my legs I couldn’t see in that brown, murky water. In the Gulf of Mexico I could often go in up to my chest and still see my toes. I’d at least like to identify what got me, but I’m more of a pool guy! (Even then, alligators could be in your pool in the morning in Hilton Head, look first!) 

 

 

 

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Edited October 9, 2020 by Augie

[Nextmanup]

I live in SE FL these days and I've seen many sharks in the water, sometimes pretty darned close to the shore.

 

 

[US Egg]

Houston 1978.

 

Went there for work, good paying labor jobs in WNY were hard to get then.

 

A dentist with mucho properties hires my friend and I. He takes us fishing on a charter out of Galveston.

 

My friend catches something that is reeling off line. The deck hands takeover.

 

Seemed forever, but its finally landed. A six foot sand shark.

 

We ate it.

[SinceThe70s]

On my honeymoon in Tahiti.

 

Wife-to-be was somewhat of a thrill seeker. Bungee jumped off a hot air balloon, went parachuting, all before I met her. I'm risk averse, so when we were planning the honeymoon and she mentioned swimming with the sharks I was like wtf. But she was all in and male pride being what it is there was no way I was gonna sit on the boat.

 

So the day comes and we circle Bora Bora on our excursion stopping a few times along the way. At one stop we got inundated by rays, but no sharks. My wife hated the rays. She had gotten slimed by them in a previous trip without me.

 

As we come full circle and it appears there will be no sharks, we make one last stop and lo and behold the sharks make an appearance. Rays too. They were black tipped reef sharks which are supposedly docile. To be honest, as sharks go they weren't very big so I jump in. As I'm watching the sharks swim maybe 10 feet from me - which was cool as hell - I notice wifey is still on the boat so I wave her in. She's having none of it. Says she doesn't want to get slimed by the rays. And I'm like, trust me the rays will be the last thing on your mind, but she doesn't budge.

 

Around this time to enhance the experience the tour operator starts throwing chum in the water to draw the sharks closer. The sharks start doing the aggressive tail swing thing and I nearly sh!t myself. Seriously can't remember when I've been more scared (maybe on the altar). I know they were relatively small, docile sharks but I got back on the boat as fast as I could.

 

Little did she know that the biggest risk she'd take was marrying me. Little did I know the true terror that lied ahead after I married her. 

 

Good times.

Edited October 9, 2020 by SinceThe70s

[sherpa]

Kind of an odd encounter, but I saw some from the hangar deck of the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier.

We were heading towards Guam to operate in those waters. Ship had a day off prior to spooling up operations.

We were over the Mariana Trench, and the ship's captain authorized a swim for any fifty sailors that wanted to, I guess for bragging purposes that they had swam in the deepest part of the Pacific.

They set up a rope ladder from one of the elevators on the hangar deck, and about thirty or so guys went down and in the the water.

Evidently, someone had been throwing trash off an aft sponson on the ship, and somebody reported sharks.

 

Captain gets on the ships internal com and yells not tp throw anything off.

Sharks had moved closer to the swimming sailors. Fortunately, they had a few Marines from the Marine security force that all carriers have aboard and they had their weapons and kept the sharks at bay while the frightened sailors scurried up the rope ladder.

We watched the thing from from the hangar deck.

Only time I ever saw any swimming from an aircraft carrier.

 

 

[ChevyVanMiller]

For those in WNY, you can now see and touch sharks without going to the ocean.

https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/niagara-county/niagara-falls/aquarium-of-niagara-cuts-ribbon-on-new-shark-and-stingray-exhibit/

[shrader]

34 minutes ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

For those in WNY, you can now see and touch sharks without going to the ocean.

https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/niagara-county/niagara-falls/aquarium-of-niagara-cuts-ribbon-on-new-shark-and-stingray-exhibit/

 

 I was going to say "every time I've gone to an aquarium".

[KD in CA]

One time while snorkeling in shallow water, a baby shark (~ 2 ft long) swam right in front me.

 

[GoBills808]

several

 

some small some big

[BillsFanNC]

Yes. 6 foot reef shark within 20 feet of me while scuba diving on the great barrier reef.

[Uncle Joe]

21 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

several

 

some small some big

I saw some islanders on the dock in Oregon last summer. They asked me how the fishing was.
I gestured and told them I caught four shark. They laughed.

[Saxum]

In Hong Kong I saw a milk shark in bay there.  It was attracted to a boat which was cleaning fish and throwing parts overboard.

 

In Hawaii they have these glass submarines you can pay for trips in and saw many of them under water.

 

In Hanauma Bay, Hawaii I saw some reef sharks swimming with me and they are more likely harmed by humans than harming humans.

 

 

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Fishing off the pier in Myrtle Beach, you have to reel in your catch as quickly as possible or the sharks will get them.  I’m not sure what species...I think maybe Black-tip?  They range from like 3-5’ in length.

 

It’s kinda wild because there are kids boogie boarding 30 yards away!! 🦈 💀 🏄 

[SinceThe70s]

46 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

Fishing off the pier in Myrtle Beach, you have to reel in your catch as quickly as possible or the sharks will get them.  I’m not sure what species...I think maybe Black-tip?  They range from like 3-5’ in length.

 

It’s kinda wild because there are kids boogie boarding 30 yards away!! 🦈 💀 🏄 

 

The mention of Myrtle Beach reminded me of this from a few years ago:

 

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Snorkeling in st. Croix, saw a very small reef shark by us— a safe distance. That didn’t scare me as much as the many barracuda out there, which have bad eyesight mistakenly bite all kinds of things. 

[Augie]

13 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

Snorkeling in st. Croix, saw a very small reef shark by us— a safe distance. That didn’t scare me as much as the many barracuda out there, which have bad eyesight mistakenly bite all kinds of things. 

 

Went on a trip where several barracuda were caught. Nasty teeth got MY attention! I’d rather NOT catch one of them again!  “Look, I’m sorry, I’ll just throw my pole in the water and you can keep it. Maybe a friend can help you get that hook out? I don’t trust you!” 

[Keukasmallies]

I use one twice a week.

[LeGOATski]

I've been in a shark cage. Pretty fun. Off the coast of Oahu we had 8-12 footers. I forget what kind they were.

[LewPort71]

My SIL caught this while fishing off the coast of NC a couple of years ago.