I was hoping to take an afternoon and hit the beach for some snorkeling.....but upon doing a web search, it seems that March - May is when sharks are at their peak in the area. YIKES.
Any locals want to give me their perspective on whether snorkeling is a safe idea? Maybe I should stick to Pina Coladas on the beach!
Any locals want to give me their perspective on whether snorkeling is a safe idea? Maybe I should stick to Pina Coladas on the beach!
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Seattle
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Re: Sharks?!
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 10:43 AMFirst off, you're a masochist for looking something like that up on the internet right before your trip. ;)
Okay, here's the deal on sharks that many people don't know about; They are EVERYWHERE. If one were to take a low flying plane around the entire coast of Florida, you would actually be able to make them out from the air.
That scares 99.9% of people but here's the facts; A hundred thousand some odd people are in that water every day of every year and almost all of them leave the water with no clue that they'd probably been splashing around several feet from a shark. On average about one hundred people WORLDWIDE encounter shark attacks, many of whom being surfers who tend to resemble sharks' natural prey.
Don't freak out. It would be smart to take precautions but don't let it stop you from enjoying your vacation fully. I'd be more concerned about stingrays, personally. They lie just below the sand and will snap at you with their stinger if provoked (i.e. accidently stepped on by unknowing person). The best way to prevent that is the "Stingray Shuffle", shuffling your feet when wading in water.
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Re: Sharks?!
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 11:55 AMSharks....stingrays...gators and giant snakes......Anything else I need to know?!?!
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Re: Sharks?!
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 12:02 PMUmm...Alligators can run faster than humans so if you find yourself in the highly unlikely situation of being chased by one, zig-zag until you can find a shelter such as a tree to climb up. Gators are super fast but they can't turn well at all.
The only other natural concern you have to watch out for is genus Hornicus Assholius, a very common species found in the Lauderdale/Miami Metro Dade area.
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Re: Sharks?!
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 6:01 PMIf I go out at all.... I'll be sitting on the beach trying to not get a sun burn or look like a Vampire on vacation.
This is mating season for my finned and toothy little friends and I have seen the aerial cams... they literally are within 5 ft of people almost constantly. However I think they're a little more concerned with getting it on with other sharkies to be too concerned with you. I have an amusing relationship with sharks that stretches back to my childhood. Pina coladas sound good...
~*Spoonziggy*~ -
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Re: Sharks?!
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 8:00 PMI very politely disagree with you. Absolutely untrue. Sharks are not 5 feet away from you are in the water here off the beach. There are mating runs, but the sharks are well off-shore. Again to all non-Floridians: THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO FEAR FROM SHARKS OFF OF FT. LAUDERDALE. I'm a scuba diver, I know these waters. NOTHING TO FEAR. You will not even see a shark if you tried!! If you doubt me, just call any scuba shop down here and they'll set you straight. -
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Re: Sharks?!
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 9:35 PM"NOTHING TO FEAR. "
Well, unless your bathing suit is made from chum.....then the last word you hear might be, "NOM."
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23352504/ -
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Re: Sharks?!
Fri, April 18, 2008 - 12:03 AM'.....then the last word you hear might be, "NOM." '
*SNORT*
I think I remember that story. Why the holy hell someone would want to be THAT up close and personal (chum and all) with sharks, I have no idea. I feel for the man and his family but really, that's like tandem base jumping with a grizzly bear, it might sound like a bad-ass allegory but chances are it will get your face bitten off.
Just don't do it.
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Re: Sharks?!
Fri, April 18, 2008 - 7:55 PMSaying that the Bahamas are "off of Florida" is a bit of a stretch! Sure it is, but.... This captian who ran this charter was kicked out of Florida because he would chum in open waters for sharks. This is pure insanity because open water sharks are HUGE...did I mention HUGE? It was an accident waiting to happen. No open water sharks are even remotely close to any beach in Florida. -
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Re: Sharks?!
Sat, April 19, 2008 - 8:03 AMno sharks, stingrays, or anything that will swim away with a piece of you. but Sea LIce.........................ahhhhmmmm, "tis the season"
yep, those little critters in attahc themselves to your skin at waist level. I've lived here ince 92 and have been exposed to them several times already, around this time, so I dont' go in the water until mid to late June. Fortunately, the beaches warn you if there are sea lice. and they warn you if there's any danger of sharks in the area, they post it at the entrance.
Enjoy Florida, and even better than Piña Coladas........................try a Mojito!
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Re: Sharks?!
Thu, April 17, 2008 - 7:55 PMNothing to fear. I'm a scuba diver and dive off the incredible reefs around here. There are sharks in the water but they are few and far inbetween and the essentially never go into shore. Don't worry about a thing. By the way, there is nothing to see if you snorkel right off the beach. The reefs are a bit too offshore to swim out to Go to Red Reef park in Boca Raton which has some rocks and rubble right off the beach with lots of fish and a resident barracuda. -
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Re: Sharks?!
Fri, April 18, 2008 - 5:55 PMOh lord have mercy. I so did not need to read that about stingrays.
I just barely got over my insane pathological fear of horseshoe crabs, as I am sure they all work together to swarm unsuspecting swimmers and drag them down and eat them. I mean, look at the things.
grrr. i *knew* i shouldn't have read this post!
the first year Romka was at spirit, I screamed like a little baby when I saw something in the water next to my feet, until i realized it was a starfish about the size of a dinner charger.
that was cool. -
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Re: Sharks?!
Sat, April 19, 2008 - 8:04 AMMavi, please, DO NOT FEAR THE STINGRAYS! They are gentle, docile creatures and, like Mom used to say, "be nice to them and they will be nice to you." Really, my dad used to take my brother and me out to a remote island when we were kids that was swarming with stingrays. We would wade around in the shallows with the things swimming in between our legs! Very cool, actually. Remember, they only sting as self defense and it is HIGHLY unlikely that, if you do enjoy a "stingray encounter", it would be anything less than a wonderfully memorable experience for you.
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Re: Sharks?!
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 5:58 AMPetra...don't fear the critters. Fear the people swimming beside you if they stand suddenly still and the water gets a little warm. Heh. I won't be in the water! It'll be too cold still for my Florida blood.
Brrrr!
