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Old 08-11-2015, 09:32 AM
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Default Bull Sharks In The Intracoastal Waterway

Other than the odd published attack, I wasn't aware of bull sharks being in the Intracoastal and connected water bodies with much frequency. I thought perhaps around inlets at tide changes. It looks like I was wrong. I was speaking to a local fishing charter boat Captain who told me that catches of bull sharks close to shore and inlets go up in June and July. He also indicated he was aware of breeding activity in the Intracoastal by Deerfield Island Park ("Capone's Island"). Reading through the literature, it looks like Intracoastal breeding and occurrence of young bull sharks may be fairly common.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_shark

"Bull sharks mate during late summer and early autumn,[8] often in the brackish water of river mouths. After gestating for 12 months, a bull shark may give birth to four to ten live young.[8] They are viviparous; they are born live and free-swimming. The young are about 70 cm (27.6 in) at birth and take 10 years to reach maturity. Coastal lagoons, river mouths, and other low-salinity estuaries are common nursery habitats.[3]"


A baby bull near the Blue Heron bridge, from the missing tail section it looks like it has already been attacked by other sharks. http://www.palmbeachillustrated.com/PalmBeachDiveSpots

"Bull sharks have an unusual migratory pattern in comparison to other sharks. They are found in rivers all over the world. They have the ability to go from seawater and freshwater. They give birth in the freshwater of rivers. The young bull sharks are free from predators while they grow up in the river before they go out to the sea in order to find mates.[43]" (Continued at the Wikipedia account.)

We were recently talking about bull sharks in Lake Nicaragua. Apparently, they were caught way up in the Mississippi River in Illinois in the 1930's. This was 1750 miles up the river from the Gulf of Mexico. Today there are dams blocking access, unless they can jump them like the rapids on the way to Lake Nicaragua. Now that would be a sight.


These guys caught a five foot bull the next day also in Illinois.
http://www.in-fisherman.com/news/sharks-in-illinois/


A paper on a 30 year study of bull shark occurrence in the Indian River Lagoon.
http://bit.ly/1f5tdF9

National Geographic has an article about the occurrence of bull sharks in fresh water:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...lsharks_2.html



Apparently there are a half dozen bulls adding "teeth" to the water hazard at a Brisbane, Australia golf course pond.
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/1...-worlds-first/


So what? Going through old news accounts there are cases of the odd attack in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Most will recall the attack on the 22 year old woman in the ICW of Ft. Laudedale last year.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/201...astal-waterway

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95960
http://www.sptimes.com/News/083100/T...hought_t.shtml
http://bit.ly/1hvHlcD
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/...hark/11028449/

Attacks in the ICW are rare as they are in the ocean. Still, it is good to be aware of the possibility as previously I didn't even realize bulls were in the Intracoastal and connected brackish water bodies with much frequency.

.
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Old 08-12-2015, 02:21 PM
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Default Fatal attack in Boca Ciega Bay in 2006

In 2006 there was a fatal attack supposedly by a bull shark in Boca Ciega bay (near St. Petersburg). Around Sunset a man went for a swim off his dock and was attacked. It was speculated that he may have been in a school of baitfish when the attack occurred.

It seems that most attacks occur at dusk or dawn in low light conditions. However, I was bitten by a black tip around mid afternoon (very minor bite) while wade fishing in knee deep water. I felt something tugging on my knee. I looked down at my knee and had a bite that was about 2 inches long, barely breaking the skin but drew blood. I looked around and there was a 3' blacktop circling me. To make a long story short, after three days of pain and agony, the shark died
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Old 08-13-2015, 08:25 AM
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Yes, that was a bad one with the loss of the 69 year old man in 2000. There was another in the same area in 2009 involving a girl. The news links are at the bottom of the above article and here as well.

http://www.sptimes.com/News/083100/T...hought_t.shtml
http://bit.ly/1hvHlcD

The conventional wisdom is shark attacks go up during peak feeding times around sunset and sunrise. I have noticed increased activity while kiting around sunset before. Looking at accident statistics they seem highest closest to noon, then again that may simply be when the most people are in the water.

That was a nasty encounter with the black tip, those things are super common too at certain times of the year. Glad it didn't take a larger bite out of you! I paddled about 8 miles into the back country by Marvin Key in the lower Keys in June. Got tired of being rained on and so took a nap on my board in the shallows by some low mangrove growth. When I woke up I discovered I was likely in a black tip nursery with a bunch of the little guys swimming around me. Fortunately, they didn't try to nip me awake.




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Originally Posted by Jake View Post
In 2006 there was a fatal attack supposedly by a bull shark in Boca Ciega bay (near St. Petersburg). Around Sunset a man went for a swim off his dock and was attacked. It was speculated that he may have been in a school of baitfish when the attack occurred.

It seems that most attacks occur at dusk or dawn in low light conditions. However, I was bitten by a black tip around mid afternoon (very minor bite) while wade fishing in knee deep water. I felt something tugging on my knee. I looked down at my knee and had a bite that was about 2 inches long, barely breaking the skin but drew blood. I looked around and there was a 3' blacktop circling me. To make a long story short, after three days of pain and agony, the shark died
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Old 08-18-2015, 02:50 AM
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About a year ago, I was watching some show called like "I catch big and ugly fish"?? on TV. They have/had a regular show. I was watching when the guy went to the Fort Pearce Inlet. He started fishing in the middle where we kiteboard...where I used to kiteboard. He started sunset to sunrise. The show mentioned every thing you had above about mating season and living in the rivers for about 5-6 years to reach maturity. Well this guy "only caught a 6 foot" bull shark. He pulled the beast to shore and tied a rope to its tail to bring it into the shallows for the filming. Catch and release show. I was surprised that you did not know this info!
Remember, Steve Shaeffer(?) was supposed to have bitten (I believe ) by a bull.
I think he took three hits as I recall. Steve was caught in the shark migration. Not to bring up old memories.
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Old 08-18-2015, 09:43 AM
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The further north you go from Palm Beach County and up, the sharkier it seems to get. I never realized the ICW and inland waters were a rearing ground for the first few years of life, love nest and birthing area for bull sharks. Down here in the SE, I am not sure how many people were aware of this perhaps aside from some fishermen. There was no mention of these bull shark life cycle considerations that I recall after the 22 year old girl was hit in the ICW between Las Olas and Sunrise Blvds.

Steve may have been hit by a bull, tiger or hammerhead. Larger sharks seem to hit the lower extremities at times, perhaps to take out the ability of prey to flee? Anyway, our femoral artery is in this area and if cut can lead to rapid mortality as tragically happened with Steve. These larger sharks follow and feed upon the smaller blacktip sharks in the seasonal migration. The migration in large measure occurs offshore although I can recall seeing hundreds within 50 ft. of Delray Beach a few years back. They travel between Broward and Dade Counties and the waters off the Carolinas I understand between fall and early winter.

Quote:
Originally Posted by flylow View Post
About a year ago, I was watching some show called like "I catch big and ugly fish"?? on TV. They have/had a regular show. I was watching when the guy went to the Fort Pearce Inlet. He started fishing in the middle where we kiteboard...where I used to kiteboard. He started sunset to sunrise. The show mentioned every thing you had above about mating season and living in the rivers for about 5-6 years to reach maturity. Well this guy "only caught a 6 foot" bull shark. He pulled the beast to shore and tied a rope to its tail to bring it into the shallows for the filming. Catch and release show. I was surprised that you did not know this info!
Remember, Steve Shaeffer(?) was supposed to have bitten (I believe ) by a bull.
I think he took three hits as I recall. Steve was caught in the shark migration. Not to bring up old memories.
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Old 08-18-2015, 05:12 PM
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They are also on the west coast in river outlets alot.

I was out on a thermal day in May 2005 at the mouth
of the Little Manatee River on a 19M nitro with large directional
and decided to take a jump on a huge gust. hit at least 20
feet and floated for awhile.

Looking down, I saw the largest Bull Shark ever. at least 10-12 feet
in the shallows.

They like springtime
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Old 08-18-2015, 07:51 PM
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Nice image! Did it splash off when you landed or just fade away? Reminds me of the time I jumped a lemon shark on purpose in hopes of taking its picture from above. This was within a mile or so of where Steve Schafer was attacked. Not my most lucid moment considering it might have panicked the shark when I landed.

I think the bulls gravitate to estuary areas around the entire state, heading inside the barrier island on both coasts. That big fellow may have been in there to spawn or be put in a family way? There were two bull shark attacks inside the barrier island including a fatality in Boca Ciega Bay on your coast.
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