Nice wind, attack fish, man-o-war, sharks and other sea pests?

[flylow]

Yo Rick....I was out 2/20 up at Stuart doing S-N downwinder 5 Miles from the feeding area of the Nuclear power plant. Two spinners (3') jumped out about 2 miles S of the plant about 15-20 feet away from my board. Then I kited near a 2 ft size on the surface and HE WAS NOT scared by my board noise or my shaddow. Next all I could see was Steve's face telling me to head to shore. My buddy on a strapless continued by the coward. Dangling his legs every once in a while doing board retreival.
Is there any way we as kiters can inform each other of the densities and locations of these migrations or is it so wide off the coast to be impossible?
We flew over the area the day before and spotted a hammerhead in the migration. Seems at W. Palm and South that the water is clear and you might see if you are in a dense sharkie area? Not having kited there I am not sure?
Next downwinder we started further S from the power plant. Not sure that it mattered as we saw 4 spinners jump from my condo at 5 PM. You can't see into the water at that spot.

[ricki]

I have been trying to get into a large school for some underwater photography in calm clear sunny conditions without success yet. I have been trying to figure out a way to learn of such a school near realtime when good conditions are on but no joy to date. Guys that fly along the coast as you do are in the best position. Ocean Rescue/Cities aren't fond about broadcasting this information or set up to do it either outside of fairly rare beach closures.

Spinners (and similar) blacktips account for more attacks on record in Florida than by any other species. There has only been one fatality attributed to spinners however as they apparently don't like the way we taste. Thing is if that first and perhaps only bite cuts a vital blood vessel that could be enough to take you out. Then there are the larger species that feed on the spinner migration that you mentioned to think about. For the most part they seem to ignore us but at other times you can see the shadows chase kiters, spinners now. Riding in the schools is a bad idea as a result. Some kiters may not be attacked but over time, some will. Volunteers? If you knowingly ride in the schools that is what you are volunteering for to be clear on the point.

The schools move, thicken up and thin out fairly rapidly day to day. Spinners will jump fairly frequently too not necessarily correlating well with larger schools. Other than posting updates on here which will be hit or miss, posting tweets, not a lot of ideas come to mind for spreading the word on movement of larger schools. There is nothing to say you need a lot of sharks to be attacked still to see some of the kite based video having a handful of sharks chase you on turns is impressive. Do pilots share updates on things like this in the way boat captains do? Do you have some fellow pilots that frequently fly coastwise that might radio in updates that could be posted? Other ideas?

Paddle boarded the other day, and saw a spinner shark jump out about 30 ft away, just outside the buoys. Lots of tarpon running around too, especially early in the morning just after sunrise. Straight of the beach here by the Marriott Harbor Beach.

Wow man. I would have completely panicked. I know now in the Winter time there is like a huge migration of sharks heading North. Do you happen to know when that migration finishes? I would assume sometime in the summer, like May, when the water is warmer. Be careful man, last year or the year before (I don't remember exactly) a kitesurfer was killed by a school of sharks after falling into the water in West Palm Beach. I believe it was during the time of the shark migration.

[flylow]

I flew today up the coast to see the space shuttle take off at Sebastian from the air. We were not allowed to go further North. On way home with eyes fixed downward came upon the massive spinners just North on Ft. Pierce inlet where I kited yesterday. I kited the South Jetty with 10 other kiters. Interesting the spinners were probably moving North and were very close to 10 surfers at North jetty. I watched channel 12 last night after they sucked me in on a biologist gonna talk on the "sharks." But the guy said nothing. I tried to Goggle his name to talk to this shark expert to no avail. I think I'll try the owner ( brother is a big time surfer) of the FL Oceanic Park here in Stuart as I hear he may be very knowledgable. Trying to get some info that could help figure out how to track these guys? I think there is no answer to this rhetorical question. I wonder if it is possible to tag them with electronics and follow them like they do the deer in the Keys? Like 20 clicks in one area would alert the public to stay on land? 5 clicks and we kite? Rudimentary Idea. Meanwhile at Ft. Pierce some guy was fishing for sharks near where we kite and swim? Great.
Then last night a guy caught a 150 Lb bull shark a mile from my condo/launch area. Not sure if he caught and released?

[ricki]

I just came across a video of a number of spinner sharks kicking up out of the water shot from just north of Boca Raton Inlet.



Reportedly, the spinning, spinner sharks exhibit is related to its mode of feeding. The charge into school fish at speed, spinning or rotating scattering the school followed by a spinning boost out of the water. Presumably, they manage to grab some food while undertaking all these distracting gyrations.