July 1st - July 4th in Panacea/St. Marks

[Hit-n-Miss]

We have be scalloping for 15 years and have never seen or had an encounter with a shark while doing it. Sharks prefer to hunt in murky water where they prey can't see them coming. Where you scallop the water is clear.

Does your swim mask have blinders built in?

Have seen plenty of sharks in the clear water on the East Flats where the scallopers congregate. But as mentioned previously, if you pay attention and be careful you shouldn't have any problem. One tip I'd add is whenever you do get ready to clean the scallops on the water, move away from the fleet so you're not adding chum (scallop guts) to area. And be sure to have all required dive flags and licenses.

. Nope but I'm vigilant of my surroundings. And I have my Hawaiian sling for flounder. Not scared a bit.


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[Hit-n-Miss]

I agree don't chum the scallop grounds.


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[silverking]

Not picking on you HnM and certainly didn't mean to imply you're scared in the water. Just commenting that there are a lot of critters out there and it pays to be vigilant as you stated. The danger from getting barbed by a stingray while scalloping is probably far greater than a shark bite. The jellyfish are nasty too.

When I bought my first boat many, many moons ago my BIL gave me a valuable piece of advice:

"You don't ever have to be scared of the Gulf, but you damn sure better respect it."

I still follow that sage suggestion to this day.

SK

[Salty Gator]

Scallop season will be open and they would enjoy that as a bonus to cool off. I use the fort ramp at St Marks. Scallop on the rock garden area(look for the armada) and fish out by the stake line.


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So how shark infested is this area for scalloping??

. We have be scalloping for 15 years and have never seen or had an encounter with a shark while doing it. Sharks prefer to hunt in murky water where they prey can't see them coming. Where you scallop the water is clear.

That's not true. Not sure where that info came from. Sharks will absolutely feed in clear water, prefer to hunt where the bait is. The juvies do confuse people for bait more in murkey water,so bites may be up in murkey water, but the sharks are following the bait, not hanging around murkey water waiting for food to show up. But if they really wanted to eat humans, there would be no scallop season or swimming in the gulf/ ocean at all.

[Hit-n-Miss]

Not picking on you HnM and certainly didn't mean to imply you're scared in the water. Just commenting that there are a lot of critters out there and it pays to be vigilant as you stated. The danger from getting barbed by a stingray while scalloping is probably far greater than a shark bite. The jellyfish are nasty too.

When I bought my first boat many, many moons ago my BIL gave me a valuable piece of advice:

"You don't ever have to be scared of the Gulf, but you damn sure better respect it."

I still follow that sage suggestion to this day.

SK

. I know just saying people are too scared of sharks. I know they are in clear water too. But most attacks are in murky water.


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[Toonfisher]

Not picking on you HnM and certainly didn't mean to imply you're scared in the water. Just commenting that there are a lot of critters out there and it pays to be vigilant as you stated. The danger from getting barbed by a stingray while scalloping is probably far greater than a shark bite. The jellyfish are nasty too.

When I bought my first boat many, many moons ago my BIL gave me a valuable piece of advice:

"You don't ever have to be scared of the Gulf, but you damn sure better respect it."

I still follow that sage suggestion to this day.

SK

. I know just saying people are too scared of sharks. I know they are in clear water too. But most attacks are in murky water.
Well if someone was in my house uninvited it's fair game. I've been in the ocean many many times. No shark encounter. I'm alert but not scared. We usually have someone on the boat at all times. If a shark is spotted. A few short beeps of the horn is the protocol. Not scream shark and panic 200+ people cause sometimes at a glance a dolphin fin resembles a shark fin. Have had dolphins swim around us in Keaton while scalloping.

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[Salty Gator]

Not picking on you HnM and certainly didn't mean to imply you're scared in the water. Just commenting that there are a lot of critters out there and it pays to be vigilant as you stated. The danger from getting barbed by a stingray while scalloping is probably far greater than a shark bite. The jellyfish are nasty too.

When I bought my first boat many, many moons ago my BIL gave me a valuable piece of advice:

"You don't ever have to be scared of the Gulf, but you damn sure better respect it."

I still follow that sage suggestion to this day.

SK

. I know just saying people are too scared of sharks. I know they are in clear water too. But most attacks are in murky water.


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I would love to know where you got the data that says more shark attack occur in murkey water.

[THOMAS CITY CURVE]

I don't know if they prefer murky water to feed , but growing up on the gulf it has been my experience that you will have a close encounter while swimming or diving in murky water before you will in good clear water. I think just like us they can identify things from a greater distance when the water is clear. With that being said I have also had very large sharks come right to the boat when the water was crystal clear. The ones that do that are usually very big and not scared of anything.

[Salty Gator]

I don't know if they prefer murky water to feed , but growing up on the gulf it has been my experience that you will have a close encounter while swimming or diving in murky water before you will in good clear water. I think just like us they can identify things from a greater distance when the water is clear. With that being said I have also had very large sharks come right to the boat when the water was crystal clear. The ones that do that are usually very big and not scared of anything.

Don't disagree with anything you said. But the numbers of people swimming in clear water may outnumber those swimming in murkey water. I don't know, but would be interested is seeing data, if there has been a study. There is no doubt most of the attacks in Florida are of mistaken identity, which is less likely in clear water. And as I stated earlier, if sharks really wanted to eat us, there would be no scalloping or swimming. Fly in a helicopter down PC beach or Destin and you will see hundreds of sharks mixed in w thousands of people.

[FishWithChris]

..... Fly in a helicopter down PC beach or Destin and you will see hundreds of sharks mixed in w thousands of people.

my grandmother, in her teens and early 20's, did the surf report for the Miami Beach area - often riding in a plane and helicopter. She said that she was always in awe by the amount of sharks swimming in and out of all the boats and people wading near the beach, but those in the water would never know it. Incredible stuff.