Did You Know Tampa Bay is the Shark Capital of the World?
“Tampa Bay is the shark capital of the world, with the largest population and the largest variety. Sharks school to TECO in search of warmer water, but mostly following the droves of Mullet and Cow Rays that they love to feed on. To get the big Bulls and Black Tips anchor up on the six foot contour and chum with blood, cut bait, and/or chum bags. Use big tackle with wire leader and circle hooks. Use chunks of Ladyfish, Mullet, or Spanish Sardines, the heads are the best. You should free line them when you can on a slack tide. To target smaller sharks such as Bonnet Heads or Black Tips fish in the shallow sand flats in front of TECO. Tip a large shrimp on a jig head under a popping cork with a twenty five to thirty pound leader. If you are casting in three feet of water your leader should be two feet ten inches long.”
*Information courtesy of Tampa Bay Fishing Guide Association. For more information on winter power plant fishing in Tampa Bay visit them at http://fishingguidetampa.com.
Did You Know Pinellas County has had the Most Shark Bites of Any Florida Gulf Coast County since 1882?
Pinellas County has had 12 unprovoked shark attacks since 1882. All other Florida Gulf Coast counties have maxed out their unprovoked shark attack reports since 1882 at 7. Pinellas County is also tied with Duval County for the most amount fatal of shark attacks in any Florida county since 1882. Both counties have had 2 fatal shark attacks. The last fatal shark attack in Pinellas County was in 2000. Read more about the 2000 shark attack here. Volusia County (on the east coast of Florida) has had the most uprovoked shark attacks with 257 confirmed attacks since 1882. See a map of Florida shark attacks by county here.
Did You Know You Are More Likely to Die of An Alligator Attack in Florida?
Between 1948 and 2005, Florida has had 351 confirmed alligator attacks. Seventeen of these attacks were fatal. In the same time period, Florida had 509 shark attacks with only 8 fatalities. You are also more likely to die from a sink hole, boating accident, tornado, or lightning in Florida than die from a shark bite.
Find out more about what is more dangerous than sharks in Florida here. Find out more about your shark versus alligator relative risk in the Southeast United States here.
Did You Know the Best Way to Prevent Shark Attacks is to NOT ACT LIKE FOOD? That includes not swimming in Blind or Johns Pass!
Don’t chum the water you are swimming in. Don’t go swimming if you are bleeding. Don’t swim where sharks look for food. (Blind Pass and Johns Pass were specifically mentioned when listing how to avoid shark attacks in Florida.)
Find more shark bite prevention tips here.
Did You Know Venice Beach (just south of Tampa Bay) is the Shark Teeth Capital of the World?
“Collecting prehistoric sharks teeth has been a favorite pastime of visitors and residents of the Venice area for years. They may be black, brown, or gray, depending on the minerals in the soil in which they have been buried. They range in size from one eighth inch to three inches, and on rare occasions more. Sharks of all species continually shed their teeth and grow new ones. They have 40 or more teeth in each jaw. Behind the functional rows or teeth are seven other rows of teeth developing into mature dentures to replace teeth as they are shed or lost. In ten years, an average Tiger shark can produce as many as 24,000 teeth. Besides sharks teeth, fossils of other marine creatures are also found in this area. Because millions of years ago most of Florida was under water, many fossils are found inland as well as on the beaches. State law prohibits digging without a permit however.”
The city of Venice hosts a Shark Tooth Festival every April. Next year’s festival will be Friday, April 10, 2015 at 4pm. Find out more about the festival here.
*Information courtesy of VeniceFlorida.com.
Did You Know You Can Swim With Sharks at the Florida Aquarium?
Dive with the Sharks at the Florida Aquarium provides a unique opportunity for certified SCUBA divers, age 15 and older, to come face-to-face with live sharks! Dive into the Aquarium’s largest tank, the Coral Reef Exhibit! Expect warm, clear water, teeming with massive sharks, moray eels, barracuda, a green sea turtle and more! We provide the sharks and all of your gear for this experience of a lifetime. Cost is $175/Diver. Discounted rates available during Shark Week at the Florida Aquarium.
Find out more about Florida Aquarium programs here.
Did You Know We Have One of the Top Shark Research Facilities Right Here in the Bay Area- Mote Marine Lab?
– Mote scientists have tagged more than 12,000 sharks of many species in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.
– The Mote Shark Biology & Conservation Program is a leader in the Trinational Initiative for Marine Science and Conservation in the Gulf of Mexico & Western Caribbean, involving Cuba, Mexico and the US.
– Mote shark researchers have conducted studies on every continent except Antarctica.
– Mote scientists use the latest technology, such as satellite tags, to track sharks and determine their status.
– Laboratory facilities of the Shark Biology & Conservation Program include MERF, the Marine Experimental Research Facility where large sharks can be studied in captivity.
– Mote college interns work side-by-side with shark scientists in both the lab and the field and get “hands-on” with living sharks.
– Mote’s current projects include:
– Studies of whale shark behavior, ecology and ecotourism in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
– Satellite and conventional tagging studies of shark abundance, distribution and migration in the NW Atlantic, including studies of bull sharks, great hammerheads and white sharks.
– Relative abundance surveys of blacktip sharks in SW Florida nursery areas.
– Studies of post-release survival and behavior of sharks in recreational and commercial fisheries.
– Connecting science to the recreational fishing community to improve shark conservation.
– Science-based linkages to public policy and application of science diplomacy in international issues and relations.
*Information courtesy of Mote Marine Lab. To find out more about Mote’s shark research visit then at http://mote.org/.
Date: August 2014