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  #11  
Old 06-11-2005, 07:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake
Eagle,
Another alternative to a shark would be a large cobia. If you were walking and stirring up the bottom, stirring up crabs or whatever, cobia are attracted to that type of action just as they follow rays that stir up the bottom as they are looking for food. I had one hit me pretty hard several times in the back of my legs while walking in shallow water. I was pretty scared until I realized what it was. Also, as they look like sharks they are often mistaken for one.

Jake
Hello Jake,

I have seen groups of four to six cobia trailing larger rays over here on and off for years. Generally it has been in deeper water between the outer reefs. I will have to keep an eye out for this in the future. It would be a joy to have a bunch of them run into you at once rooting for crustacians!

Something breached the surface riding a wave in front of me late the day before yesterday in some nice wave conditions off of Delray. It was a bit small/narrow for a dolphin and I don't recall seeing a dorsel fin. I guess it could have been a young dolphin.
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  #12  
Old 06-11-2005, 07:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake
Eagle,
Another alternative to a shark would be a large cobia. If you were walking and stirring up the bottom, stirring up crabs or whatever, cobia are attracted to that type of action just as they follow rays that stir up the bottom as they are looking for food. I had one hit me pretty hard several times in the back of my legs while walking in shallow water. I was pretty scared until I realized what it was. Also, as they look like sharks they are often mistaken for one.

Jake
Hello Jake,

I have seen groups of four to six cobia trailing larger rays over here on and off for years. Generally it has been in deeper water between the outer reefs. I will have to keep an eye out for this in the future. It would be a joy to have a bunch of them run into you at once rooting for crustacians!

Something breached the surface riding a wave in front of me late the day before yesterday in some nice wave conditions off of Delray. It was a bit small/narrow for a dolphin and I don't recall seeing a dorsel fin. I guess it could have been a young dolphin.
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  #13  
Old 06-11-2005, 07:28 PM
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Jake

Cobia, yea thats what I'd like to think it was.
Unless it was a Cobia with bad skin, the sandpaper sensation tells me it was something else.

I'm just glad something made whatever it was swim away instead of having a snack.

Eagle
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Old 06-11-2005, 07:28 PM
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Jake

Cobia, yea thats what I'd like to think it was.
Unless it was a Cobia with bad skin, the sandpaper sensation tells me it was something else.

I'm just glad something made whatever it was swim away instead of having a snack.

Eagle
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  #15  
Old 04-01-2006, 05:53 AM
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Reposted from a guest:

It would be nice if some one would put up a map of of all the places that have known shark problems over there so visiting people would have some clue. I know there are some hot spots there from fishing bros.
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  #16  
Old 04-01-2006, 06:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickI
Reposted from a guest:

It would be nice if some one would put up a map of of all the places that have known shark problems over there so visiting people would have some clue. I know there are some hot spots there from fishing bros.
I haven't spent all that much time in the Bay area but I believe such a map would look pretty much like a map of the coastal/ocean areas off Florida. I always assume sharks are within sensory distance (whatever that might be) anytime I'm in the water.

I ran over some poor shark a few nights ago kiteboarding off Delray, me not the shark. I think it was a lemon shark and he blasted out of there at there at high speed as I came up on him on the surface.

Still shark sightings can be fairly rare for kiters in many areas.

Where to find them more often?

Fish schools particularly active ones
Diving sea birds
Around the time of known shark and fish migrations
Sunset
In and near inlets
Fishing piers
Fishing boats
Dropoffs
Outfalls
Places with a history of problems

Looking at statistics:

1882-2004 Map of Florida's Confirmed Unprovoked Shark Attacks (N=500)



County Total #Fatal Last Fatality

Volusia 171 0
Brevard 85 1 1934
Palm Beach 55 0
Martin 24 0
St. Lucie 22 0
St. Johns 21 0
Duval 18 2 1976
Florida Keys 17 1 1952
Indian River 15 1 1998
Broward 9 1 2001
Dade 9 1 1961
Pinellas 8 2 2000
Bay 7 1 1988
Collier 5 0
Escambia 5 0
Flagler 5 0
Sarasota 4 0
Lee 4 0
Santa Rosa 2 1 1911
Franklin 2 0
Manatee 2 0
Nassau 2 0
Okaloosa 1 0
General 7 1 1896
FLORIDA 500 12 2001

From: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks...tack/mapFL.htm

Sadly, there have been some more since 2004.


On the whole, unstable weather is a VASTLY greater threat to kiteboarders than sharks by far based on accidents. Avoid the obvious issues with sharks (aside from that I don't dwell on sharks) but really focus on weather.

What do you guys think?
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  #17  
Old 04-01-2006, 07:30 AM
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the map pretty much parallels human population density.

There are Bull shark pup nurseries in the Tampa bay area, near big bend.
And wherever they are, momma and poppa aren't far behind... :shock:

Still, I think we make enough noise to scare them off. usually.

Also where we ride is mostly too shallow
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  #18  
Old 04-01-2006, 11:00 AM
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Shark attacks are an extremely rare event in Tampa. So rare, its the last concern on my mind when kiting. I have spent countless hours diving, fishing and sailing/kiting and never had a shark encounter while in the water.

The numbers are clear. Given the amount of people in the water and the rarity of attack, it has been proven that your odds of attack are less than the odds of a cocunut dropping from a tree and killing you.
Quote:
Escott says, "People may worry about being bitten by sharks on holiday, but statistics show they would be better advised not to sit under coconut palms."
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...48144#continue


The numbers of attack don't parallel population sizes/densities, either. Pinellas' population is more than twice that of Volusia. Miami Dade's is 7 times the density of Volusia County's. Yet, V.C. is at the top. Look up the densities online.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/florida_map.html (its interactive, click the county)

The most likely reason Volusia county's numbers are so high is because of a popular surfing locale in New Smyrna. The shark population there is very large. Guys are surfing right near an inlet where sharks feed on the fish on a regular basis. These are mainly 5 foot fish eaters biting guys toes off (or leaving nice bite marks)
http://www.underwatertimes.com/stories/shark_attack.htm

Timing of day has no correlation there or anywhere in Florida to actual shark attack, according to George Burgess, Ph.D. (University of Florida) Unless you want to count 2 pm as the highest occurence, but he didn't think it was statistically relevant.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks...dayattacks.htm

For those of you concerned about shark attacks, focus more on the road on your drive out. A traffic accident is far more likely.

After having said that, I avoid inlets with strong currents and OBVIOUS tarpon schools or pods of fish going crazy... just to lessen my odds that much more.

Rick, I think that sticking with facts is always better than simply using conjecture.
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  #19  
Old 04-01-2006, 11:44 AM
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35 kiteboarding lofting/dragging fatalities in gusty winds and hundreds of serious injuries.

vs.

Zero kiteboarder shark fatalities and six attacks worldwide (that I have heard about, most not serious at all). That includes one in Key West, one off the Panhandle and two off the Treasure Coast, one in South Africa and one in Fiji. There could well be more but that is all that I have heard about to date.


WHY do kiteboarders worry so much about sharks, apparently, and frequently show so little concern related to excessively gusty weather?

People have tried to explain this to me in the past. I am afraid I still don't quite get it.
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  #20  
Old 04-01-2006, 11:48 AM
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You got me Rick. I have NO facts.

Would you like me to guess? It'll be funny guesses, with no personal targets.
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