Have you seen a shark? Where were you, what was it and were you snorkeling?

[Stevesan]

Saw lots of sharks at Nassau:

 

http://www.dive-bahamas.com/DiveBahamasMgmt.aspx?id=3&pageId=17

 

Nassau: “Snorkel Bahamas Adventure” is a 5-½ hour trip operated by Stuart’s Cove. The boat trip is @ three hours, and visits Schoolhouse Reef, the spectacular Golden Key Reef and finally a “swim with the sharks” at ‘The Wreck of the Bahama Mama’. I have never before witnessed such a number and variety of fish as at Golden Key. There are never-ending fish, large and small, singly and in large schools. The floor is decorated with huge, magnificent coral formations of all shapes and sizes. While there, a shark cruised past our group. He obviously thought this was his ocean and didn’t know, nor care, that we weren’t scheduled for a shark encounter until after Golden Key. Surprisingly, getting in with a dozen or so sharks is not frightening. I suspect we were too caught up with their grace and magnificence to be scared. The fact that the boat captain hadn’t lost a diver in twelve years was also encouraging. This is a five star, gold medallion, prime trip, not to be missed!

[besjoux]

We saw 4 nurse sharks during one snorkeling excursion in Cozumel.

[Colorado Kat]

We saw a black-tipped reef shark in Cayman Brac. Maybe 15 feet depth? We started following him, but my husband outswam me since I had my Nikonos setup with double strobes (pre-digital). Shark swam into a shallow area, near shore, thru some coral. Husband followed, with me 10 feet behind husband.

 

Shark decided he didn't want to be in shallow area close to shore, and turned 180 degrees to leave. That put him staring my DH in the eyes, about 8 feet apart. My thoughts - "Well - If the shark wants him, all I can do is take a photo." Shark looked at DH, and just glided past him, actually very closely (High coral there), past me and out to sea.

 

My DH reported later, that the shark looked like he was 8 feet wide, between the eyes. Shark was actually 7-8 feet in length.

 

I've got a photo, but just of the side of the shark, from 10 feet or so away.

 

Kathy

[ducklovemama]

Have you seen a shark? Where were you, what was it and were you snorkeling?

 

 

To hopefully alleviate fears about shark attacks while snorkeling in the Caribbean, I wondered how many people had actually seen a shark while snorkeling, what type was it and where were you?

 

I have never seen one, but have only snorkeled in the Caribbean.

 

 

 

I had just learned how to snorkle and was in Half moon cay bahamas ( private island) I was comming back from the cruiseline island barbq. and saw people in shallow water freaking out and many were comming out of the water and my husband and I went to see what was going on so low and behold it was a nurse shark about 3 1/2 feet long or so. My husband is very well educated in marine life he also scuba dives.So I threw off my beach coverup and grab my snorkle gear and went in. I wanted to see it close up. My husband was right behind me. I followed it a short way just to LOOK at it. People thought I was nuts for going in but my husband knew that nurse sharks will not attack unless you bother them. It was an exciting moment for me. I hope never to see a great white thats another story:eek:

[bmvf2001]

We saw a Nurse shark while snorkeling in Key West. A Nurse shark has no interest in people but she looked pretty scary to me!

 

Greatest siting wasn't in the Caribbean but right off the coast of Destin, FL. We were diving there in August when we were joined by ... not 1 but 2 ... whale sharks! Absolutely phenomenal!!

 

[michaelaz]

Please take memories and leave only bubbles.

 

As a rule sharks will try to avoid you and FYI sharks dont have a set feeding time, you will be fine.

[travelmatron]

We saw a Nurse shark at Black Rock in Maui. There was some run off from rain the night before. It was in about 15-20 feet of water and no threat.

We saw many Nurse sharks in Belize on the Shark Ray Alley snorkel tour that was intended to see sharks and rays. Everyone knew they were there and would have been disappointed if they hadn’t appeared. Very peaceful, not intimidating.

We saw a reef shark in the Great Barrier Reef while on a snorkel tour. I would guess it was more than 20-30 feet deep. It was going the same direction we were and moving rather slowly so we were able to watch it for behind for several minutes. Very Cool

We saw several reef sharks just as we exited a boat into a rather swift current in the Galapagos Islands. Again, they were much deeper than we were and didn't seem to even notice us, but I didn't like that we had just made a large splash and were still adjusting our equipment.

My DH is much more happily excited about seeing them than I am, but none of them were the least bit aggressive.

[pygy88]

OK OK... so I haven't seen any sharks while snorkeling but I see/feel (YES I said FEEL!!, they, and other BIG things in the murky water, "bump" you) sharks all the time while surfing in Galveston and other "local" spots on the Texas Gulf coast. It's VERY common to see black tip fins as close as 6-8 feet from you in the water while perched up on your board waiting for sets. One time one of my friends was out waiting and saw what he thought was a big industrial barrel *think 55 gallon drum* suspended in a wave (as it was building up to break over) .... well that is until moments later he realized it wasn't a steel drum in thaT wave it was a HUGE freekn shark!!! Needless to say after that, there was more beach partying going on that day than surfing....

 

As a surfer you KNOW those things are out there but with the murky water here it's easy to forget about the submerged beasts that lurk below. There are quite a few fishing tournaments that happen occur in this area several times a year, one of biggest is the "Texas City Tackle Time tournament" yeah, seeing a 9 ft Tiger shark strung up by the tail is CHILLING!

 

Here's a 10 ft female Tiger shark caught not far from shore! (and released with scientific tracking tag) on South Padre Island TX July 2008.... The tradition holds true, everyuthing IS bigger in Texas, even the sharks, LOL! Interesting article... with AMAZING pics.

http://extremecoast.com/reports/report071008.php

[pygy88]

Here's a 10 ft female Tiger shark caught not far from shore! (and released with scientific tracking tag) on South Padre Island TX July 2008.... The tradition holds true, everyuthing IS bigger in Texas, even the sharks, LOL! Interesting article... with AMAZING pics.

http://extremecoast.com/reports/report071008.php

 

correction.. it WAS caught from shore... Bait was dropped about 500yds from the beach. A little toooooo close for me and apparently Tiger shark females travel with their boyfriends!! :eek:

[dancing bear]

I've seen lots of leopard and sand sharks off the area from Kino Bay to Mazatlan in Mexico, but they're relatively small and harmless. Also seen small sharks in northern California. The only time I was scared was off Anacapa Island in the Channel Islands off southern California back in the 1950's when we had a Orca "killer whale" come between us and our dive boat. But we all floated calmly on the surface (we were snorkeling) and it cruised slowly by about 25 yards from us. During the mid-1950s, when we had a rash of great White attacks off northern California (they breed off the Farralone Islands in early Spring each year), I was performing in diver shows at county fairs and they used to keep a big dead great White in a refrigerated box and bring it out for the crowds with its mouth propped open and I got to stick my big head in its mouth. What an efficient set of teeth they have!

[czimm]

We snorkeled with a nurse shark in Grand Cayman -the guide hand-fed it and my son get to pet it. This was in open water by a reef and not in an enclosure. Not something I would seek to do or recommend though, I found it a little scary

[Cindy]

We did the "Shark Ray Alley" tour in Belize a few years ago and saw tons of nurse sharks. That probably had something to do with the fact that our guide was feeding them to attract them!:eek:

[DiveCruiser]

St Thomas and St Maartin and the keys nurse shark, off Marathon key 3 Black tips, Bahamas reef sharks, all while diving

[gliner]

I have seen hundreds if not thousands of nurse sharks. I was leading a drift dive off the coast of Pompano Beach when we came across a hammerhead shark that was about 12 feet long. He was quite away away from us, but we could clearly see the outline of his head.

 

I expected the students to bolt for the boat, but everyone remained calm and the big fellow went about his business as we went about ours.

[AMYZNG]

under my dive boat in Belize. (I was in the water and there was a nurse shark, just chillin') coolest thing ever!

[Friscorays]

Several times, usually while diving but on occasion while snorkeling. The most numerous, pic 1, were harmless reef sharks while snorkeling in the Blue Lagoon of Rangiroa (the fish chunks being thrown into the water seemed to help attract them). The largest, pic 2, was while diving in Bora Bora. Never felt the least bit threatened although the big ones do tend to draw your attention.

[Zubsin]

Most recent..nurse sharks off Looe Key off Bahia Honda State Park...florida. Baracudas too....