Children and Sharks

[forsailbyowner]

We were In dry tortugas anchorage where goliath grouper surround the boat. They routinely run 400 lbs.and higher A person in our party had his feet hanging in the water and one of the grouper hit his foot and pulled him right off the dive platform. It looked like a rake was taken down the top and bottom of his foot with deep grooves. I was shocked to see little kids swimming off another boat the next day. They would have been a bitesize morsal for some of the larger females.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

I believe you AND your children are at a much greater risk from barracuda, if you wear anything shiny on your bathing suits or body. No, I am not kidding...

Sorry , this is an old wives tail, while they look mean and I’ve never ever seen any aggressive behavior of cudas nor have I ever heard any credible first hand proof- im sure its happened somewhere but very very rare
I’ve logged over 5000 dives and have been in the water with many thousands of cuda, never a concern, in fact they are very good eating the small ones

[Ram]

Originally Posted by schoonerdog

There have been 26 shark attacks in the Bahamas since... 1749. And one fatality.
Map of the Bahamas' and the Antilles' Confirmed Unprovoked Shark Attacks

the key word here is Confirmed

[Ram]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

We were In dry tortugas anchorage where goliath grouper surround the boat. They routinely run 400 lbs.and higher A person in our party had his feet hanging in the water and one of the grouper hit his foot and pulled him right off the dive platform. It looked like a rake was taken down the top and bottom of his foot with deep grooves. I was shocked to see little kids swimming off another boat the next day. They would have been a bitesize morsal for some of the larger females.

This fish were known as Jew fish most of my life not sure why the recent name change, I grew up around these big fish-5-600 lbs were common and I have never seen them aggressive –as boys there were so many around in the winter time in shallow water we would go out and spear 50-60 lb fish just about any time we wanted, 1 guy on our block brought home a 600lb one for the whole town to see- they have come back and there are a lot of then in the Lake Worth area now-I would bet these fish you’re talking about have been fed by people and are used to coming up grabbing a free meal !

[sarafina]

a big grouper can be a very scary thing indeed!

Night dive off one of the little san blas isles and swimming up thru a snakey trench thru coral and all of a sudden I startled fish longer than I am and twice as big around. The good news was he was as startled as I was and just shot up the chute like a pip from a grape. but man...

and I KNOW that most sharks are harmless. I have dove wrecks with resident sharks and eels who expect to be fed and petted. But when you don't expect one is when the shark drill comes in handy. I about levitated straight outta the water when a 6' nurser swal straight at me and made a 90° turn about 12" from my mask... I stayed still an calm as I had been taught until she got around the corner. THEN I rocketed out of the water and holler'd "clear the water, we gotta big shark cruisin"

that MAY have been the biggest adrenalin surge I have ever had.... maybe...

I really recommend the drill routine....

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Ram

This fish were known as Jew fish most of my life not sure why the recent name change ...

Methinks that the name change has been intended to appease a small group of insecure people with way too much time on their hands.

The OED quotes William Dampier ("A New Voyage Round the World", 1697) thus:
"JEW-FISH.
The jew-fish is a very good fish, and I judge so called by the English because it has scales and fins, therefore a clean fish, according to the Levitical law, and the Jews at Jamaica buy them and eat them very freely. It is a very large fish, shaped much like a cod but a great deal bigger; one will weigh three, or four, or five hundredweight. It has a large head, with great fins and scales, as big as an half-crown, answerable to the bigness of his body. It is very sweet meat, and commonly fat. This fish lives among the rocks; there are plenty of them in the West Indies, about Jamaica and the coast of Caracas; but chiefly in these seas, especially more westward."

Other points of view ➥ State: Big fish get a giant name

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Ram

This fish were known as Jew fish most of my life !

Some decent pics here (shame to see these big fellas killed)
snook - jewfish - Friends of Habanos | Unofficial Habanos Cuban Cigar Forum

(Pics wont load sorry)




In Oz, we call those grouper and these Jewfish or Mulloway

[Benares]

Coming back to my beloved sharks..... all began when I shaw this picture.. as you may realize they are swiming in normal shallow water where childrens will usually play ... is this normal??? is this safe ??... or theese sharks are completely friendly ??

[David M]

Sharks are pretty far down the list of things that are likely to kill a person. It's unfortunate the film industry has given them such a notorious reputation. They are beautiful animals to watch. Use a little common sense by not doing anything to arouse their feeding instincts and you will be fine.

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by Ram

Sorry , this is an old wives tail, while they look mean and I’ve never ever seen any aggressive behavior of cudas nor have I ever heard any credible first hand proof

Well, you're kind of right...a good friend of mine, who happens to be an old wife (now) saw a woman in the bahamas some forty years ago get bit in the ass and bled out on the beach. Dead. She's still traumatized by it today... and the woman had big shiny buttons on her suit. I've dove with barracuda all my life too, but never with shiny buttons, and I've still got my ass.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Some decent pics here (shame to see these big fellas killed)
snook - jewfish - Friends of Habanos | Unofficial Habanos Cuban Cigar Forum

(Pics wont load sorry)




In Oz, we call those grouper and these Jewfish or Mulloway

WOw nice I beleave we call that a red fish or red drum ? Iver never seen one that big -

[Ram]

Originally Posted by Benares

Coming back to my beloved sharks..... all began when I shaw this picture.. as you may realize they are swiming in normal shallow water where childrens will usually play ... is this normal??? is this safe ??... or theese sharks are completely friendly ??

We see this all the time in the Bahamas, after we anchor and clean the fish we caught that day and throwing the carcus overboard we get what you see in this picture- I would not want my 5 year old in there with them, even though its likely safe

[Benares]

Well... thaks to all your post on this thread...becouse what it is most dangerous than a shark (if they are at all) is a not informed "daddy" ... so .. cristal clear that sharks can approach beach (on spite really shallow waters)... and under certain conditions can "bite" to try.. (not to eat).. so daddy will not be able to have a "siesta" while childs are wetting their feets at bahamas.. ... other fishes can do the same (if I do not bite them before) .. and never "spangle" our fashion swimming suits while at Bahamas...and never ever clean fish close to where we intend to swim later ...

With all this practical information and more reading about this new fish (to me).. hope to survive !!

Thanks !!

[Boracay]

The real danger to children in the tropics comes from exposure to over exposure to sunlight - skin cancer.

The above website gives some guidelines. From my own experience
* Sun protective clothing is expensive and not very comfortable. Lycra top and long shorts are more practicable.
* Sun screens are essential when that pale european skin first sees tropical sunlight. Don't ever get sunburnt, but do allow limited exposure (early morning and late afternoon is best) to sunlight to build up some natural rsistance. Use SPF50 and water resistant sunblock, applied often if they are swimming.
* Hats are (sort of) cheap. Those cheap floppy tennis hats or those legionaire style caps are best.
* Make sure the dodger/bimini on your boat give some real shade. Don't forget that reflection off the water and cloudy days are just as dangerous as direct sunlight.
* Get some sunglasses. You'll need to check that they have a Standards Association approval. Polaroid is best.

Once your kids see real, clear tropical water you'll need a steel cage to keep them out of it. Kids are fast and sharp, much sharper than adults. Train them what to look out for (don't forget lionfish, stonefish, stinging jellyfish and the like) and they'll see and deal with it themselves. Probably won't tell you 'cause you'd only try to stop them swimming.

Oh, and get them some quality junior mask/snorkel/fin sets. They'll love you for it.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Benares

First of all... think I´m a Mediterranean sailor... where you will never find shaks along the beaches.

Back when I was Scuba diving (a bit ) I was told not to annoy any sharks............unfortunately I never found out the definitive list of things that annoy sharks

Hitting me with a stick would tend to annoy and I figure much the same for a shark. But further down the list things get a bit less certain as some days are just better than others on the things that annoy me front - maybe sharks are the same? And maybe some are just born plain uppity?

And throw in the feeding thing Sometimes I feel hungry and look in the Fridge to discover not much at all , but am too lazy to visit the supermarket - so try something like a plastic cheese and beetroot sandwich just because it is their, not because I really fancy it . Maybe sharks can also be lazy shoppers?

Whatever, I tend to have a rule in life - anything that can eat me is best not trusted for it's good nature. nor petted .

Maybe get a dog? If the dog is still swimming happily after 5 minutes let the kids in the water..............