Great White in Jax

[fldiver1]

THANKS ..........it isnt that i am afraid of all sharks just the BIG ones. LOL seriously am just concerned about the more aggressive ones like a great white. so i guess my question was how likely am i to see a GREAT WHITE in key largo in december (or a hammerhead or bull shark for that matter?)

Don't worry about the sharks. If you are doing your cert. you will be in the water with several other people and most likely you wont be the SLOWEST swimmer there!! JK Just carry your dive knife, not to stab the shark but to stab your buddy and swim like hell!! again, jk! The sharks you are likely TO see in the keys are nurse sharks, dont worry about them. Don't go trying to pet or kiss them, but dont worry about them. Now, I have seen some big bulls there but the only time I worry about them is when we are spearing, in fact that is the only time I see them. I have only seen one hammer in the keys while diving. We were on the "City of Washington" wreck, I was taking a pic of a school of grunts in this one spot and when my flash went off my buddy poked me in the side and pointed to a shadow behind the grunts moving off VERY SLOWLY. When we got back to the room and I downloaded my pics, there it was, about a 9ft(as far as I can tell by the pic) hammerhead swimming just behind the school. Didnt see him thru my viewfinder, just in the pic and when he was going away from us. That one was kinda cool! Funny thing is I almost never see blacktips or reef sharks there. Maybe one or two VERY small ones in the last 3 yrs of diving there several times a yr??

 

[matts1w]

...so i guess my question was how likely am i to see a GREAT WHITE in key largo in december (or a hammerhead or bull shark for that matter?)

I have done hundreds of dives off Key Largo and swear 1000% that I have never seen a hammerhead or great white shark. In fact, I have been spearfishing hundreds of times up and down the Florida Keys and promise you that I have never seen a great white or hammerhead. I will even venture to say it is 99.9999% certain you will not see a great white and very unlikely you will see a hammerhead.

 

[fldiver1]

Matts1w is right, it is HIGHLY unlikely that you would see a hammerhead and almost certain that you wont see a great white!! No major food sources in the Keys to sustain a great white. Not saying they dont "pass thru" but I havent seen nor have I heard of anyone seeing one there. The stories you hear about are fishermen off Key West going 75 miles out fishing and then seeing one maybe. Dont worry about sharks in the keys. If you do get to see one, enjoy it!! Doesnt happen very often!!

 

[DESIGNERDIVER]

Thanks to you all for calming my nerves LOL..............but if i do see one of the "scarey" sharks Im sending them your way!! LOL
thanks again!

 

[fldiver1]

Like I said, you dont have to swim faster than the sharks!! Just faster than your buddy!! Naah, just kiddin again! I like doin that! Seriously, dont worry about the sharks down there. They see so many people they KNOW we arent food. Just stick with your instructor and class until you are comfortable. There is a good chance you WILL see some type of shark(probably a nurse like I said though) Just watch them from a distance and enjoy it, some people pay alot of money to see sharks up close, you will get to do it alot cheaper!!

 

[Agent 47]

A friend of mine who used to be a commercial diver always tells people that if a shark attacks you, you should punch it in the nose. And if that doesn't work, then draw back and stab it in the eye with your bloody nub!

 

[Salmonboy97]

A friend of mine who used to be a commercial diver always tells people that if a shark attacks you, you should punch it in the nose. And if that doesn't work, then draw back and stab it in the eye with your bloody nub!

I have seen a video documentary of shark bite victims, one guy had two nubs...............missing BOTH hands from fighting off the shark. That would change your mind about "hitting them in the nose". Im sure that was what this guy was doing! Problem is the nose is very close to the MOUTH!


The good part is most (almost all) shark attack victims happen close to shore in low visibility conditions to BATHERS! NOT DIVERS.

I challenge anyone out there to submit a report of a shark attack on a diver without bait in the water. (The abernathy incident in the Bahamas doesnt count, they were chumming)

 

[The Chairman]

For those who think that they can outrun their buddy... go ahead. Sharks are attracted to LOTS of commotion! Everyone should just be quiet and still... that way we can watch!

 

[deeper thoughts]

Don't worry about the sharks. If you are doing your cert. you will be in the water with several other people and most likely you wont be the SLOWEST swimmer there!! JK Just carry your dive knife, not to stab the shark but to stab your buddy and swim like hell!! again, jk! The sharks you are likely TO see in the keys are nurse sharks, dont worry about them. Don't go trying to pet or kiss them, but dont worry about them. Now, I have seen some big bulls there but the only time I worry about them is when we are spearing, in fact that is the only time I see them. I have only seen one hammer in the keys while diving. We were on the "City of Washington" wreck, I was taking a pic of a school of grunts in this one spot and when my flash went off my buddy poked me in the side and pointed to a shadow behind the grunts moving off VERY SLOWLY. When we got back to the room and I downloaded my pics, there it was, about a 9ft(as far as I can tell by the pic) hammerhead swimming just behind the school. Didnt see him thru my viewfinder, just in the pic and when he was going away from us. That one was kinda cool! Funny thing is I almost never see blacktips or reef sharks there. Maybe one or two VERY small ones in the last 3 yrs of diving there several times a yr??

We do see reef sharks about every other time at Molasses reef

 

[fldiver1]

I almost never see reef sharks in the Keys!! I have heard other people saying they see them on Molasses too but I dont dive that reef much. My kid likes the wrecks and other than that we stay south of Rod. Key most of the time for spearing and bugging.