wow!!!!!!!!

woohoo..NICE catch!!!

Marty, did anybody check that fish for signs of Jimmy Hoffa?

We're going to be there in two weeks. Until now, we've always enjoyed snorkeling. If she tried to sink the boat, she wouldn't have any big problem with me.

Actually, I'll take my chances.

We followed one around inside the reef (Tre CoCo area) last year, Late afternoon, I didn't know they will attack your boat Might re-think doing that again (If) next time.

Bull Sharks will hit on anything, in South Africa they are called Macau (sp?) they are also able to live in fresh water. 2 years ago I spent the night in San Pedro and walked the beach around 5pm. two seperate fishermen had each caught over 10 ft Bull Sharks and had them layed out on picnic tables cleaning them and giving away the meat. They however were just outside the channel and did not really want them, they were fishing for big fish and hooked them, living 26 years in Hawaii, they say statistics are the same everywhere, that for every 10 times you swim in the ocean you will 2 of those times be within 5 feet of a shark that could harm you. You just dont know it. Which is trying to explain they usually dont.

At one time Caye Caulker had hundreds of sharks nearby. Now they seem rare. No one ever got hurt. Most sharks eyes are on top of their heads with the mouth on the bottom.They feed by charging at things they can't see- biting and tearing. They feed, breed, and cruise, not getting angry or other human emotions.
They do not attack boats to get at the occupants.

What a shame!
We had a house south of Caye Caulker right in front of the cut for many years. Every day we went out for swimming. We also very often went out with our boat for snorkeling at the cut. It was very seldom we´ve seen sharks there. But they came sometimes. All the years we´ve been to Caye Caulker no one never ever got hurt and we´ve never heart of any shark-attack in that area. There was no need to kill this shark. I am also wondering how it comes that fishermen wear weapons and use it to kill animals. In this case they have killed 14 of them. Sharks live in the sea - that´s normal. People have fun in the sea - that´s ok. Fisherman catch fish in the sea to sell it - that´s their business. But shooting a shark - that´s a shame. We came to Belize in 1996 because we´ve heart about the great nature and that the Belizeans take care for their environment. Now you put pictures in the world wide web of a rare species animal shot by a Belizean fisherman. That´s not a good publicity for Belize and Caye Caulker. Years ago we had a big crocodile in a pont behind our house south Caye Caulker. The crocodile did cross our garden almost every night to go to the sea to feed and came back early in the morning. We liked it to have such a interesting "neighbour". One day this crocodile was also shot by a Caye Caulker resident. We´ve been deeply dissapointet about this people. Now we are deeply dissapointet again.

Sorry for my bad english.
Hans and Annette

If there were a crocodile regularly hanging around my property, and it were legal to do so, I'd shoot it in a heartbeat. Crocodiles and Sharks are nasty creatures. As far as the shark goes, they had no choice: if they didn't shoot it it would have kept ramming their boat. Plus, lots of people got some good shark meat out of the deal.

The good news is there's 400,000 left.

As by the travel insurer “club admits Direct” announced, there are far more deaths frequent by coconuts than deadly running shark attacks. 79 humans had been attacked in the year 2002 by sharks, whereby for 10 humans each assistance came too late. In contrast to it annually on the average 150 persons are killed by coconuts.

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home

We're coming for a visit in a little over a week. I was looking forward to a typical stress free time. Now I have to worry about sharks and coconuts? I thought the only coconut to be concerned with was in the rum.

Don´t worry,
there are only a few coconats on Caye Caulker, as well as only a few sharks.

I dive, snorkel, fish, swim in the sea and have a great deal of respect for marine life. We regularly see Bull Shark swimming inside the reef when out fishing.

We must remember that sharks and crocs are predators, just like we are and we are competing for the same resources (territory and food) that they are.

Shark are fished locally for sport and for food. Shark meat is pretty tasty. Bull sharks are listed as low risk on the endangered species list, but they are still at risk.

Sadly, as humans succeed in expanding their territory, we will gradually wipe out other large predators. There are many land predators on the brink of extinction now because of this.

Accidents with sharks are just that, accidents. Sharks aren't evil, vindictive or spiteful. Just curious and hungry. I do have concerns that the behaviour of some tour leaders and dive masters is likely to lead to a serious accident with sharks as they chum the water for the benefit of tourists. I know of one or two reef shark bite incidents.

Personally, I feel that the land sharks in Belize are far more worrisome and as long as we all behave sensibly in the sea - follow safety instructions, don't spear fish unless you really know what you are doing, don't chum, don't try to touch or interfere with wildlife - you will be able to enjoy the seas of Belize. You may even be lucky enough to see sharks or dolphins (also large sea faring predators that have had accidents with people). Be conscious that your grandchildren may never get the same opportunity because many of these species will be wiped out by the time they are adults.

But for those of you who love terrorising yourselves with scary shark tales:

http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_037084046.html

I know that they're not really that dangerous, but they're still nasty creatures. Especially crocodiles. Very nasty creatures.

kvarner

You say sharks and crocs are 'nasty' creatures. Since when were wild animals in the wild nasty? I have met many 'nasty' people and also met wild animals that have been made 'nasty' by being kept as pets by people. Actually, weren't you the guy who wanted to keep a wild animal as a pet in Belize? Now your response makes sense.

Spend some time learning about wildlife, conservation and animal behaviour - particularly if you are planning to move to Belize and think that some of our most beautiful and interesting wild creatures are 'nasty'.

We clearly have a very different definition as to the word 'nasty'.

Amen Colly! Couldn't have said it better myself!

Anyone else smell that? I'm sure I smell a Troll!

I think you are right on Simon, And a "NASTY" troll at that. Colly, Also Right on sister, you said it well. We moved in on the wildlife, They didn't move in on us!! Let them be and do not try to "Humanize" them, It's there land and water too.

Someone hijacks a thread about a fish that someone caught, and I get called a troll for disagreeing with them.

I'm not the one who hijacked this thread. If you like crocodiles and sharks, good for you. I don't like them. As far as I'm concerned, if I hold the legal title to a piece of property, it is my land, and any creature that lives there is there because I allow it. If the government allows the fishing of sharks, cool. If not, the law should be respected.

I'm sorry if my unfavorable opinion of sharks and crocodiles is upsetting.

KV - I wouldn't say your opinion is particularly upsetting; asinine would be a better word.

I think if you find a shark on your land, go ahead and kill it. It's not long for the world anyway.

Just when I get my snorkel gear packed.

The sharks don't get hungry 'til nighttime.. don't worry

This shark doesn't look like a bull shark, but a young great white. Do a Yahoo or Google search and check out pictures of both species - you will see what I mean. A bull shark has a square head, teeth are different. The shark in the pic has a pointed snout and check out the teeth! Uncommon in this area? Yes. Looks like one just happened to venture off course.

I hope KVarner doesn't visit Placencia during whale shark visits.

Its hard to tell Great White and Bull shark teeth apart from that distant, but check out the tail. It look like it has really long upper lobe compared to the lower which rules out Great White and Mako, but is consistent with a Bull shark.

I catch anyone chumming when I am out on snorkel/dive trip and there will be hell to pay!! Bloody irresponsible behaviour at the best. When I used to divemaster in Honduras we would take the divers to a shallow reef area where Nurse Sharks could be observed, unmolested, in a pristine setting.

We used to catch some twelve foot tiger sharks in the day but I do not know what the population levels are down that way (islas de bahia) these days. Tasty yes, dangerous yes but they too ahve a right moreso than us to exist as their genesis is some 100 million years compared to our measely 2 or 3 million?

JMHO

In case some folks are confused or sea newbies let me add one point of clarification regarding whale sharks. They are krill and plankton eaters, not seal, dolphin or man eaters. These gentle giants, some measuring 60 feet in length, live predominantly in the deep so we are just getting understand them in recent years.

When the bonita were running in Honduras was when we would see these sharks. To grab onto a fin for a ride was the absolute form of exhilaration...so what if your mask and regulator was ripped away - someone would grab your mask.

In case some folks are confused or sea newbies let me add one point of clarification regarding whale sharks. They are krill and plankton eaters, not seal, dolphin or man eaters. These gentle giants, some measuring 60 feet in length, live predominantly in the deep so we are just getting understand them in recent years.

When the bonita were running in Honduras was when we would see these sharks. To grab onto a fin for a ride was the absolute form of exhilaration...so what if your mask and regulator was ripped away - someone would grab your mask.

oops....had one of those postdata thingies...sorry

oops....had one of those postdata thingies...sorry

Myth Busters did an excellent segment on protecting yourself from sharks. The myth is that if you punch a shark in the snout they will turn away. They proved this is true – however – the snout is hard and it hurt his fist. He found that if you gently punched it in the jowl it had the same effect. They took a box full of bait down to tempt the sharks. He had on chain male armor – just in case! There were many sharks in the water around them and they kept coming in for the bait. He found if he did not punch aggressively they did not become aggressive.

Crocodiles and sharks are not nasty creatures but some humans are.

I concur...knowledge makes us all better animals.

I am an animal lover here on Caye Caulker and may be slightly changing the subject. There seems to be alot of activity on this topic. I would like to make a statment about the ladies who own and operate Belize Dive Services. They take it upon themselves to try and care for our cat and dog population here. They go around and worm, give heartworm medicine and flea medicine to as many animals as they can. They round up strays to have them spay and neuterd. Recently they went to the little fish shack just south of Caye Chapel to rescue 2 dogs abandoned there. They bring the vet here every month or so. They spend ALOT of their own money on this but they do take donations. They also offer PADI certification and dive trips, they are located behind the soccer field next to Iguana reef.

Cooper...hubby and I are coming out yer way for monday...i am doing stories on this sort of stuff - animal awarenes? Care? U can find us at Motel 1788....we wish to do non-touristy snorkel trips so i can assess reef decay. Contact me at my email addy....dgrefreshed@witty.com

So, then is this shark that was killed definitely a bull shark? Boy, had me fooled. The snout on it does not look like any pics of bull sharks that I found on the internet.

who cares!!! What was mostly wrong is that the 8 shark pups that were cut out of the mother shark were about to be born, and were alive and left to die on the beach!!! They could have lived if someone just put them back in the water!! God we are treating our world badly, we are the weak link!!!

Who the hell did that?

Nevermind....went back and read over the piece.

Well, Cooper, I care because I am interested. That's all. Would not have asked the question otherwise.