Officials Alert Swimmers After Hundreds of Sharks Seen Gathering off Western Florida Coast The Associated Press Published: Aug 14, 2001

ANCLOTE KEY, Fla. (AP) - Hundreds of sharks have been sighted this week off central Florida's west coast, prompting officials to warn swimmers and scientists to ponder what is luring them here. Bull sharks, hammerheads and nurse sharks were among those spotted by sheriff's marine patrols in the shallow Gulf of Mexico waters off Pasco County, northwest of Tampa, officials said Tuesday. Some of the sharks are up to 10 feet long.

Pasco County Sheriff's Office spokesman Kevin Doll said the sharks were first sighted Monday. No one has been bitten.

Terri Behling, a spokeswoman for Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, said it is too early to speculate what might be luring the sharks. Experts, who may visit the area as early as Wednesday, first need to determine the sharks' species and size, she said.

Behling said it is not unusual for sharks to swim up and down the gulf coastline, following tarpon. But a congregation of different species is unusual, she said.

AP-ES-08-14-01 1836EDT

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

Answers

Wow! Revenge of the sharks?

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

I guess barefoot has been dipping his sweet smelling feet in the water and now all the sharks are in a frenzy! Barefoot, stop your dipping. :%)

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

>Behling said it is not unusual for sharks to swim up and down the gulf coastline, following tarpon. But a congregation of different species is unusual, she said.

First thought: something has happened to the food sources for sharks in that area, so they coming inland to forage.

Second thought: they heard that I'm coming down to visit and want to avenge their relatives. I used to collect shark's teeth when I was little.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

They heard that Reno was gonna run for governor!!!

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

I remember when I was a kid living on the beach in Cally, in the morning there would be beached sharks, sting rays and jelly fish.

Meemur, they say before a quake, some dolphins and whales beach themselves, due to their sonar being out of wack because of frequency changes. Plus there have been alot of off shore earth quakes happening. Something is going on for the sharks to change their pattern.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

Maggie, that's certainly a factor! I've heard of that, too. Seems like if their sonar was out of whack, though, there would also be more whales and dolphins around. Maybe there are. I'm going down next week -- I'll check it out for myself -- from the shore!!!

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

LOL, OG! Now, serious question. I missed the post or announcement. Reno *is* going to run? The last I had heard was that her doctors advised her against it. Of course, that's never stopped anyone before.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

Reno has not annouced her intent to run as yet. She is cruising the state 'to feel things out' or something to that effect.

I think she is trying to get laid and not having much luck.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

I wonder if there is a lawyer convention in Tampa?

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

Well, you know, if it looks like a dog, etc. And it sure looks to me like she's running. Sorry, y'all are right--don't think there's been an official announcement yet.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

She may run just so she can write off this state-wide jaunt of hers, and the cost of the little truck she bought.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

Have a nice trip Meemur and be careful if you go into the water.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2001

Maggie, I might be up and out early enough to do a little shell hunting on the shore, but I'm not going swimming in the ocean. I'm old enough to remember when "Jaws" came out. (:

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2001

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/228/nation/Gathering_of_sharks_spotted _he:.shtml

Gathering of sharks spotted heading south, away from central Florida's west coast

By Associated Press, 8/16/2001 06:47

ANCLOTE KEY, Fla. (AP) A large gathering of sharks that had congregated in the waters off central Florida's west coast have moved out of the area.

Hundreds of sharks, some up to 10 feet long, were first spotted Monday three miles offshore, prompting officials to issue an alert to swimmers.

Most were blacktips, a common species often blamed for nipping surfers and swimmers, but not regarded as a man-eater. Bull sharks, hammerheads and nurse sharks were also sighted by sheriff's marine patrols in the shallow Gulf of Mexico waters off Pasco County, northwest of Tampa.

By Wednesday, the brief invasion was over. They were spotted heading south by a crew from Mote Marine Laboratory.

''The thing that really caught my attention was that there were several species,'' marine biologist Bill Alevizon said. ''Species tend to move alone.''

Blacktips are known to move from the Gulf of Mexico back into the Atlantic Ocean about this time of year, said Mote spokeswoman Teri Behling.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2001

The news showed an overhead view of these schools of sharks. Of course, nothing else (like shark food) in the water with them.

Linda Moulton Howe has an article about the massive decline in sea otters on the west coast as a result of the orcas increasing their predation on them because plankton-related food sources were missing in their usual feeding ground. Sea urchins are now out of control because the otters are no longer keeping them in check, etc., etc. Global climate change is one of the hypothesized causes.

http://www.earthfiles.com/earth208.htm

At any rate, that's what I thought about when I saw these schools of sharks. Wondering if they are attracted by something in the water or the area, or if their food base has been disrupted.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2001

Actually, they do it all the time. The bay area is full of tarpon and such, their favorite food in that area.

This is sort of a seasonal thing, and it happens all the time. I think what caught people as strange about it is that it was a mix of species, as they usually school separately. Or something like that.

I guess they are headed for the keys now, since they were seen headed south. More fresh tourists there, I suppose... [another shark delicacy]

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2001

But Barefoot, it's a little bit like the fall hawk migration from N.A. to S.A. They have to pass over land, so they funnel their way down through Panama. Millions! No possible way that those birds are eating anything for a good chunk of the flight. The sharks must be capable of figuring out that a gathering hundreds of sharks won't result in much being shared.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2001

because of the fishing laws, and seasonal fishing allowances, sport fish, and food fish, have become more plentiful inthe bay areas. sharks have figured this out, too, but I doubt they know why.

Manatees have become more plentiful as well. And manatee/boat incidences have become fewer as well. Manatees are learning, somewhat slowly, where it is safe to hang out, and where it isn't, I guess. There is a large group that stays near the cooling towers of the Port St Lucie power plant. No boats allowed there so they are free to be themselves without worry of being run over. I have seen more of them in the canals near home lately. Used to be a rare occurence to see them there, what with the water locks. Or is that lochs?

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2001