Re: sharks s. Florida
Born in Miami 36 yrs ago and my Dad gave me a 13 ft Boston Whaler at 12 and I started using his SeaCraft at 16. My Dad's motto was if I was on the water, then I wasnt on the street everytime my mother would complain about the gas bills. I probably have gone out diving at least an EASY 50 - 150 times per year ever since, many, many trips. I spent two years doing commercial spearfishing in Key largo before I was unlucky enough to get into grad school. I have seen hundreds of sharks, had them hanging around as I swam back to the boat with my catch stuffed in my shorts so it couldnt be seen. I was a stupid 17-18yr old and bought a 44 magnum Bang stick and used to chase them and they always would stay just far enuf away. I managed to spear a few around 6-8 feet probably reef sharks but all that did was lose my spear. Only twice was I scared and that was when I saw a pair of 10 ft plus hammerheads when I was diving with my Dad, I thought my Dad looked so helpless next to these sharks and I was more worried they would eat him. The other was two weeks ago I was checking a pile of 16 re-called Ford Expedition tires (How did they get out there?)out on the grassy plain in about 10 feet of murky water, I dont like murky water. We had baited these tires the day before with a pile of dolphin (mahi mahi) heads and were hoping for lobster. Just as I was coming up from the tires I literally was 3-5 feet away face to face with another large Hammerhead. I kicked at him and he screamed off the other way, Obviously he was just curious because if he wanted me he would have had me. I walked across the water to the boat and my wife has been refusing to allow me to go back there, she saw the shark from the boat. I think of all the times I have stopped on this little lobster honey hole alone on my way in from fishing and to be honest, I think my days of free diving alone are over, or at least until our freezer runs out of lobster. All in all I would rather dive on a 40-100ft deep reef with clear water and a shark around that you can keep your eye on then 2-10 ft of murky water even if there was no shark around. I dont like not seeing my surroundings. Being this active all my life I can remember many many reported shark attacks all throughout the south and they almost always occurr on the beach, the Bahamas have always had there fill, but you only heard about them from other divers or the doctors who treated these wounds, not channel seven news or even worse CNN........Mark
