Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#98078 02/25/05 02:49 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 153
OP Offline
This article was in a Milwaukee newspaper, made me think of our shark encounters in AC. Should we be more afraid?

Article Title:Pity the poor little grouper who swims with the sharks

Six months ago, a miniatus grouper - about 4 inches long, reddish-orange with blue dots - jumped out of its perfectly adequate but relatively dull tank at a local fish and aquarium store, fell 3 or 4 feet and landed with not much of a splash in the much more lavishly appointed 3,000 gallon tank below.
The downside to the fish's new quarters were obvious, if not to the fish, then certainly to the humans who work at Aqua Exhibits, and to the store's visitors, some of whom come just to take a look at the big tank's longtime inhabitants: three 50-pound nurse sharks and one full-grown moray eel.
The grouper has so far managed to survive. It keeps its Technicolor self tucked beneath a large chunk of dead coral and eats whatever scraps of smelt the sharks and eel fail to devour during their afternoon feeding.
But it's just a matter of time before the grouper becomes yet another example of what happens when you fail to look before you leap, aren't happy with what you've got, are blinded by ambition, imagine that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, etc.
"The sharks will eat him," said Kevin Boettcher, who is the manager of Aqua Exhibits on N. King Drive and has worked there for the last six years.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History's Web site, nurse sharks "may bite with a powerful vise-like grip capable of inflicting serious injury. In some instances, jaws release was accomplished only after using surgical instruments."
So don't expect anyone to reach in and save the grouper. It has made its bed and now must lie in it.
'A lot of blood'
Boettcher said the sharks haven't bitten anyone as long as he's been at Aqua Exhibits, but one time, a drunken man wandered in during one of the downtown festivals and tried to pet the moray.
"There was a lot of blood, but it wasn't too bad," Boettcher said. "A lot of blood. Must have hit an artery or something."
The eel isn't for sale, but the sharks are, though Boettcher isn't sure, if someone were to buy one, how he would get it out of the store. Some kind of tranquilizer would be required, but that's as far as Boettcher's gotten with the problem.
When the sharks arrived at Aqua Exhibits, they were 18 inches long and retailed for $100. Now, 13 years later, they're nearly 5 feet long and are retailing for $1,100.
As Boettcher and I were talking, two men - Crespin Cortez and Hector Acevevo - stopped at the shark tank to admire the fish.
Owning a big, toothy shark seemed like a great idea to Cortez, but to Acevevo, not so great. "Extraordinary," Cortez said. "Dangerous," Acevevo said. "They look like they could jump out of there and get you." "They're beautiful, man," Cortez said. "They're like pit bulls in water." "Exactly," Acevevo said. "But they don't growl and let you know they're coming."

#98079 02/25/05 03:21 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 75
D
Offline
D
The only attack mentioned here seemed to have been committed by the eel, or am I misreading? We've always known moray eels are dangerous, haven't we?

#98080 02/25/05 03:28 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 190
Offline
While nurse sharks aren't naturally aggressive to man, they're still a wild animal and capable of inflicting a nasty bite if provoked. Most of the guides are used to handling them and seem to know what they're doing, but they also run the risk of getting bit, especially with the way everyone chums the water to attract the sharks.

#98081 02/25/05 03:30 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,677
Offline
I wouldn't worry a lot over this article unless you are a 4 inch grouper. The result would be the same if the little guy flipped into a tank of foot long groupers. I would consider the statement about "pit bulls in the water" to be a bit dramatic.


Been there, done that, the washing machine ate the T-shirt
#98082 02/25/05 03:46 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 190
Offline
Some of those schools of jacks are more like pit bulls than the nurse sharks!

#98083 02/25/05 05:22 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 153
OP Offline
I agree with you on the Jacks !! And I also agree that all wild animals can be dangerous and one should always be cautious. I really thought the Pit Bull comment to be extreme so thought I would get some feedback on it. Still I found the article interesting and am rooting for the grouper !!

#98084 02/25/05 06:17 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 75
D
Offline
D
Go grouper go! Go grouper go! We should start a "Save the Grouper!" fund. Pay someone to go in there and rescue the little feller.

#98085 02/26/05 09:15 AM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 30
B
Offline
B
MMMMM, Put him on a grilled kaiser roll with a touch of Marie Sharps and some tartar sauce. I'm rootin' for him too!
BREW Kettle

#98086 02/28/05 03:37 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 591
Offline
I was gonna' jump on some kind of bandwagon here, until I realized I agreed with everyone!

Anybody got any tartar sauce?


* I Go Pogo *
#98087 02/28/05 03:38 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 591
Offline
BTW, I think nurse sharks are wimps. See pic at left. wink :p


* I Go Pogo *
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Cayo Espanto
Click for Cayo Espanto, and have your own private island
More Links
Click for exciting and adventurous tours of Belize with Katie Valk!
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 318 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums44
Topics79,199
Posts500,011
Members20,460
Most Online7,413
Nov 7th, 2021



AmbergrisCaye.com CayeCaulker.org HELP! Visitor Center Goods & Services San Pedro Town
BelizeSearch.com Message Board Lodging Diving Fishing Things to Do History
BelizeNews.com Maps Phonebook Belize Business Directory
BelizeCards.com Picture of the Day

The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members
and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5