Had a way too close shark encounter in Florida

[DougK]

I am only in my first year of diving and I had a way too close encounter with a shark last week in Florida and want to know if I handled it right.

Let me set the stage, I just spent four wounderful days scuba diving with my wife in John Pennycamp park in Key Largo where we saw several nurse sharks swiming all around. One shark swam under the feet a new diver doing a skills test with no problems. At no time did they bother us scuba divers.

THEN two days latter I was in Key West on my uncle's charter fishing boat 9 miles off the end of Key West. His 25 year-old son and several of his friends came along to spear fish. They were doing this with mask, fins and snorkel. This involved them free diving down and shooting the fish and swiming back to the surface. I had never seen this done before and joined them in the water in only my mask, fins and snorkel -- not even in a wet suit just to watch and also see what was on the bottom. A nurse shark was in the area on the bottom in about 25-30 feet of water.

The shark got interested in the spear fishing guys and was following them around. At one point he came to the surface and swam right at the two guys with fish in their mesh bags. These guys had spear guns and poked the shark with their spear gun tips and the shark made a turn. THE TURN then had him swimming right at ME. I was about 20 yards away with no spear gun just snorkling on the surface.

All I could do was spin in the water so my feet faced him and when he go right to me I took the heel of my fin and kicked him in the top of the head. He jumped and swam off. I got out of the water at that point.

Are nurse sharks able to injure a diver? Would this be normal action for a shark to take? Should I fear them when diving in the future? Was there any other action to take other than kicking the shark?

This happened very fast with no time to think. It did not scare me to the point I want to stay out of the water. In fact latter in the day -- after we moved the boat -- the spear fisher guys saw a hugh loggerhead turtle and I got back in to see him. However I watched for sharks very carefully.

Thanks for any comments. This post is to help me with future diving as I have no interest in spear fishing.

 

[gfisher4792]

Hi Doug,

Quite an encounter indeed. It sounds to me like that particular nurse shark has enough experience to associate spear fishing (or divers, in general) with an opportunity for a easy meal (injured fish, not the divers!). It may have also smelled residual fish blood/oil on their equipment, and went up to check things out. Nurse sharks are, in general, docile animals, but anything that big certainly has the potential to injure a person. Most (if not all) attacks by them are a result of people harrassing them (pulling on tails, cornering them, etc.) After it got poked (with the tips of the spears? Geez..) it probably got scared and turned to flee, coincidentallly in the direction where you were. Imagine how you might react if you were following someone who them turned on poked you in a sensitive area with a sharp point!

For you, kicking it was a good, better safe than sorry action. Watching for sharks with/near sprearos is always a good idea (blood in the water, etc.).

Just be careful and doing some animal/shark research will probably help you. It will also help in the future if you run into a different species, and need to interpret the threat potential and any behavior you witness.

I think sharks are good, but we're entering their backyard.

 

[JustJoe]

Hey Doug,

Nurse sharks have been known to bite people. But I don't think he was out to get you. They usually bite people in shallow water when stepped on or when they are provoked (like sleeping under a ledge and a diver pokes them, no place to go but through the annoyance).

My guess is that this shark was checking you out to see if you had any goodies (fish) on you. It would have most likely moved away after making a close pass. Your actions were not that bad. You kicked a shark. Probably not the best action, but you more than likely did very little to actually injure the poor animal. I would have let him come on by without touching if I could.

I don't worry about nurse sharks. If I was spearfishing and a reef shark made the same approach I would be on my toes and if a bull shark was in the area I would get out of the water. Not that I was worried that they would be after me but that I would get bitten by mistake. Same damage though.

Joe

 

[docmartin]

unlikely that it was attacking you although they may if feeling cornered. bumping back when getting bumped is a good strategy though in my experience. don't let them get the idea that you're intimidated - even if you are. when i go snorkeling with sharks e.g. bull sharks at walkers i take a somewhat bigger light along and bump them on the nose when they get pesky.

 

[ScubaFreak]

you got out of the water with all your limbs = you made the right decision

 

[drbill]

Situations like this where spearfishing and sharks are involved are prime candidates to lead to interactions between the sharks and spearfisher(wo)men. In this case involving a nurse shark, I wouldn't worry too much about it becoming a dangerous situation. The shark turned towards you because it was poked with a speargun tip, not because it was heading towards you to "attack." You were just in the way of its escape. I doubt you were in any danger at all.

Personally I won't dive with spearfisher(wo)men present due to this possibility (our sharks here are a little more "thought provoking" than a nurse shark).

I wouldn't worry about your encounter.

Dr. Bill

 

[DandyDon]

I'd be more fearful of the guys with the spears! :silly:

You did good. Must have been exciting.

 

[CBulla]

I am concuring with Joe and Bill

 

[htn123]

I am only in my first year of diving and I had a way too close encounter with a shark last week in Florida and want to know if I handled it right.
..........
This happened very fast with no time to think. It did not scare me to the point I want to stay out of the water. In fact latter in the day -- after we moved the boat -- the spear fisher guys saw a hugh loggerhead turtle and I got back in to see him. However I watched for sharks very carefully.

Thanks for any comments. This post is to help me with future diving as I have no interest in spear fishing.

DougK,
Yep, you did great. Kicking the thing on it's head will send a clear signal, ie: I an't affraid of you so go away.

I am a spearo too, and yep, got tagged team by 2 bull sharks, 10 feet each. Sharks are likes dogs, they are currios and will want free lunch/fishes. But if you show you don't affraid of them, they leave you alone.... for a while until they hungry enough to go back and asking for free meal .

Yep, some sharks in FL have conditioned to the sound of spearguns goes off and they will show up for free meal.

What you did was great.... Don't run thou and don't show that you are affraid, they can "smell" it, just like dog.

 

[mempilot]

I agree with what everyone has said here, but would add one point. Turning your body in the water to present your feet to the shark could have ended in a bite on the foot. In a moment of confusion, especially when the shark is looking for a free fish dinner, your foot or hand flashing in front of it could be mistaken for a fish. They are very quick and you do no want your hand or foot down a nurse sharks mouth. You should see what they do to lobster. Best thing to do is stay calm and present a very large profile (whole body vertical in the water). The shark more than likely would have just turned away scared again.

My .02, but you had an encounter that most never get a chance to have. You'll remember it forever.

BTW, I've had several encounters with sharks while diving. Most were due to being in the water at the same time as divers spearfishing. I don't like being on the upline decompressing when they are hauling their goody bags up to the boat. I become a fast food drive-up window with no food available. It's kind of like having a pesky bumblebee that won't go away. Other than that, they pretty much keep their distance.