re: 3 shark attacks in Destin in the last 5 hours

quote:

---

without fully understanding the ramifications to the ecosystem, I am all for the near elimination of any gator over 6ft. Let some big dudes grow in the protected swamps but dangerous gators in every water hole sucks.

---

It would mostly work for gators, being that they reach sexual maturity at around 6-7 feet and they reach that length in a relatively short time compared to their lifespan. The actual length would vary some depending on geographical area. All of that already goes into determining limits and season length.

With sharks that approach wouldn't work at all. Generally speaking, sharks reach sexual maturity much slower than gators (relative to their size), and that isn't uncommon for marine species. If, like mentioned earlier in this thread, you "take out" every shark over 6 feet you will quickly wipe out the entire population by impacting species prior to them reaching sexual maturity. You'll kill them all before they're able to reproduce, and that would have a drastic impact on marine ecosystems.

quote:

---

I will be on Grand Cayman starting July 4th.

---

Where are you staying?

quote:

---

Nice to not know whether anyone was hurt or killed.

Thanks

Would read again if I want to remain ignorant.

---

What’s the downvote record for a non OP post?

This one has to be close.

quote:

---

my partner

---

quote:

---

The gulf coast does not a have a seal population meaning the primary food source of sharks along the Gulf in no way resembles a human being. Imo its the most likely reason attacks here are extremely rare.

---

Are they rare, though, at least compared to other places around the world?

Florida and its beaches are pretty well known as being the "Shark Bite Capital of the World". Part of that can be attributed to Florida having arguably the best shark attack reporting/tracking in the world, but that's not even near the issue it used to be since other countries have gotten much better with reporting.

Also, while populations for many shark species are falling worldwide, Florida/Gulf populations are increasing. That's mostly due to conservation efforts, but sharks have always been more-or-less plentiful off Florida's shores. It is only in recent decades that those numbers have increased, which all leads to Florida having more non-fatal shark attacks than anywhere else in the world, by a fair margin, too.

So, while in the grand scheme of things your odds of being attacked by a shark, even in Florida, are slim, your best chances of actually being attacked are on the Gulf coast off of Florida beaches.

You're still many times more likely to be taken out by a riptide and die by drowning than from a shark attack.

quote:

---

How many people got killed by riptides and drownings in Destin this week?

---

If you're going to be dumb again tonight I am going to have to start drinking.

quote:

---

Florida and its beaches are pretty well known as being the "Shark Bite Capital of the World".

---

That’s the east coast of FL from Melbourne up to Daytona or so, and those attacks are bite and release. Fatalities are incredibly rare in FL.

The gulf coast of FL sees relatively few attacks.

quote:

---

bull sharks are known to be aggressive towards humans and are considered one of the most dangerous shark species in the world. They are often found in shallow, warm coastal waters near where people swim, and are highly territorial, especially during breeding season. Bull sharks are also known for being unpredictable and agile

---

bull shark...

quote:

---

Florida and its beaches are pretty well known as being the "Shark Bite Capital of the World". Part of that can be attributed to Florida having arguably the best shark attack reporting/tracking in the world, but that's not even near the issue it used to be since other countries have gotten much better with reporting.

---

Wuuut. As someone that’s lived in the panhandle I’ve literally never heard the gulf coast referred by this.

If you are going to post something so absurd you need to post some reliable article to back it up.

There are probably 50,000 people a day swimming from Gulf Shores to St George island with maybe one shark attack a year in general.

It’s hard to not catch a shark reef fishing on the gulf coast, but generally the water is clear enough in Florida you see sharks around swimmers. This is rare to see, yes sharks are seen, but generally it’s very rare. I’ve lived here for 25 years and spend as much time as anyone on our beach and in condos with friends and family visiting, and I’ve seen probably 20-30 sharks off our beaches within the swimming areas.