Quote:
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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.
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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?