Sunday, February 19, 2012

THE REAL SHARK WEEK...ER...MONTH

Forget waiting until mid summer for Animal Planet's popular 'Shark Week' or renting the underwhelming 'Jaws 3D'. 


Show image



If you want to see sharks right now - up close & swimming in the wild - simply head to Palm Beach County Florida.


Here it's 'Shark Month' for all of February as thousands of blacktip & spinner sharks make their annual migration from the Caribbean to Chesapeake Bay. 


While these aren't quite the size of movie monster sharks, they do average around a very respectable 6' each. And all come with a complete set of long, very sharp, adult size teeth.


Ok, they're not searching for high end Palm Beach human hors d'oeuvres, but are simply following schools of baitfish up the eastern US coast - like they do each year.


And - even though the Jaws real life offspring do swim past every beach in every county & every state - they come the closest to shore in Palm Beach County. 


Often in the same places where bathers like to swim.


Take a peek:




Yes, Virginia, all those little dark black dots are the 'finned ones'. And 'minor injuries' are only those that happen to someone else - not you!


'These are not really aggressive species,' said a wag from the FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission talking about blacktip/spinners. 'but even though they don't eat people, the chance of being bitten is there.'


As my pal Rick Welch discovered a few winters ago when - while paddling a surfboard by the famous Juno Beach pier - a spinner shark leaped out of the water, landed on his back, left him with a 20 stitch scar on his calf & a lifetime of stories to tell.


And actually these 2 species are believed to be involved in 33% of all Fl bites.


So 'if the water is murky and you see hundreds of sharks, you probably should stay out of the water.'


Or you may be treated to an unbelievable close up of a 'Mr. Jaws look-a-like' - without the need of any 3D glasses.

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