...would this freak the HELL out of you, or WHAT?!?!?!

Shark! Cape Cod beach-goe...ks kayaker

The shark's giant dorsal fin sliced through the sparkling blue waters off Cape Cod, trailing an oblivious kayaker as wide-eyed beach-goers watched in horror. The only thing missing was the ominous, thumping soundtrack from "Jaws," the 1975 blockbuster about a great white shark that terrorizes a seaside resort.

"Shark!" people began screaming at the kayaker, who looked over his shoulder, spotted the looming fin, and paddled faster. He got away and the beach has reopened following Saturday's drama.

But some wildlife officials say the area's burgeoning seal population is proving a lure for sharks like the one that haunted swimmers over the weekend.

According to the Cape Cod Times, there have been at least 15 shark sightings in the region since September 2009, and while none has led to attacks on humans, they have rattled beach-goers and caused several beach closures. Few have been as dramatic as the one Saturday afternoon at Nauset Beach, an idyllic strip of sand that is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Makes me re-think my plans for the warm waters off the Carolina/Virginia coasts and head for a lake instead...

hmm. I've seen sharks several times in Tampabay on my kayak.

It never really concerned me too much, but the sharks weren't more than maybe 5 or 6 feet long, and my Kayak was a 13-footer.

A great white may be a different issue. It's my understanding that they are specific feeders, unlike the bullshark or tiger shark which will eat anything.

So perhaps, the great white was eyeing the kayak out of curiosity more than anything else. (not to say a fish can be that curious).

My kayak would have gotten awfully smelly.

imago said:

hmm. I've seen sharks several times in Tampabay on my kayak.

It never really concerned me too much, but the sharks weren't more than maybe 5 or 6 feet long, and my Kayak was a 13-footer.

A great white may be a different issue. It's my understanding that they are specific feeders, unlike the bullshark or tiger shark which will eat anything.

So perhaps, the great white was eyeing the kayak out of curiosity more than anything else. (not to say a fish can be that curious).

From what little I can recall of Shark Week on Animal Planet...Great Whites have terrible vision...it's all about smell & vibrations.

Anyway...that right there would've KILLED my weekend. (Unless my hotel had a pool).

Yes.

Some guy this weekend had his kayak bit into by a great white, he fell into the water. He's okay though.

Nothinbutjoy said:

My kayak would have gotten awfully smelly.

Hey...it could be a repellant!

morningsong said:

Yes.

Some guy this weekend had his kayak bit into by a great white, he fell into the water. He's okay though.

Not this same guy???

Where???

Lake Placid, here I come....!

Not the same guy. This guy's kayak was yellow and it happened on the west coast. They're saying the shark was just giving it a testing bite and then swam off.

morningsong said:

Not the same guy. This guy's kayak was yellow and it happened on the west coast. They're saying the shark was just giving it a testing bite and then swam off.

PurpleJedi said:

Nothinbutjoy said:

My kayak would have gotten awfully smelly.

Hey...it could be a repellant!

Best shark repellant...the smell of dead shark. Saw that on a documentary about orcas killing great whites.

[Edited 7/9/12 11:35am]

Nothinbutjoy said:

PurpleJedi said:

Hey...it could be a repellant!

Best shark repellant...the smell of dead shark. Saw that on a documentary about orcas killing great whites.

[Edited 7/9/12 11:35am]

So...sharting does nothing to repel a shark then???

(Time to return the gallon of chili-con-carne back to Costco)

PurpleJedi said:

Nothinbutjoy said:

Best shark repellant...the smell of dead shark. Saw that on a documentary about orcas killing great whites.

[Edited 7/9/12 11:35am]

So...sharting does nothing to repel a shark then???

(Time to return the gallon of chili-con-carne back to Costco)

It hasn't been scientically proven, that I know of.

Nothinbutjoy said:

My kayak would have gotten awfully smelly.

I would be a lot more concerned on one of those knee boards!

But surfers are the real ones who need to worry. Doesn't this look tasty?

PurpleJedi said:

morningsong said:

Not the same guy. This guy's kayak was yellow and it happened on the west coast. They're saying the shark was just giving it a testing bite and then swam off.

Kayakers fair better than surfers. Shark teeth gotta get through all that nasty tasting stuff first, it ain't worth it to 'em.

When a massive (harmless) basking shark was accidentally killed in a fishing net in the area recently, I became curious about what else we had around these parts so I did a little research and realized that we have several sharks that are on the "common list" - including Great Whites and, even more dangerous, those freaking Tiger and Short Fin sharks.

Most Canadians think the waters up here on the east coast are too cold for sharks...but apparently not.

Actually, don't the big sharks prefer cold water???

A couple of years ago, there was a BIG DEAL made about a small shark found swimming in Jones Beach (our most popular beach here on Long Island) - in the frikin' shallow bay frequented by families with small children!!!

<----- swims on Carson Beach within a few miles away from Cape Cod almost daily. No worries.

Its the ATLANTIC OCEAN and I expect to see life in the water. Oh, and a paddle board guy was next to that same kayaker that day warning him there was a shark behind him.

I see something different in the water each time I get in there when the tide is high. Its a relief to see stuff alive in that dark water actually.

Any thing is better than seeing all those pilot whales beached this past spring.

PurpleJedi said:

Actually, don't the big sharks prefer cold water???

A couple of years ago, there was a BIG DEAL made about a small shark found swimming in Jones Beach (our most popular beach here on Long Island) - in the frikin' shallow bay frequented by families with small children!!!

Seals prefer the colder waters, and great whites go where they favorite foods are.

Fishermen make their living in these waters, makes sense sharks would find food here also.

Where I live ( Carson Beach) is sorta of a huge clam bed that has tons of tiny crabs, shrimp, and baby lobsters all swimming in the water all season. Tons of spider crabs, horseshoe crabs and jellyfish too. Too many damn jelly fish actually.

Nah not me the LIS is sooooo dirty here I wouldn't even call it a beach

NDRU said:

I would be a lot more concerned on one of those knee boards!

But surfers are the real ones who need to worry. Doesn't this look tasty?

since you asked, no. not tasty looking at all imo. but then i'm not a great white shark

Well Cape Cod always had sharks so I don't get why it deserved a headline, I guess for the picture maybe, but other than that...

paintedlady said:

<----- swims on Carson Beach within a few miles away from Cape Cod almost daily. No worries.

Its the ATLANTIC OCEAN and I expect to see life in the water. Oh, and a paddle board guy was next to that same kayaker that day warning him there was a shark behind him.

I see something different in the water each time I get in there when the tide is high. Its a relief to see stuff alive in that dark water actually.

Any thing is better than seeing all those pilot whales beached this past spring.

that must have been heartbreaking. agree it's cool the ocean is alive. i love watching seals play in the water and someday i want to swim with dolphins. but for real, not like in a tank

XxAxX said:

paintedlady said:

<----- swims on Carson Beach within a few miles away from Cape Cod almost daily. No worries.

Its the ATLANTIC OCEAN and I expect to see life in the water. Oh, and a paddle board guy was next to that same kayaker that day warning him there was a shark behind him.

I see something different in the water each time I get in there when the tide is high. Its a relief to see stuff alive in that dark water actually.

Any thing is better than seeing all those pilot whales beached this past spring.

that must have been heartbreaking. agree it's cool the ocean is alive. i love watching seals play in the water and someday i want to swim with dolphins. but for real, not like in a tank

I would be too scared to swim with wild dolphins... they kill sharks.

paintedlady said:

XxAxX said:

that must have been heartbreaking. agree it's cool the ocean is alive. i love watching seals play in the water and someday i want to swim with dolphins. but for real, not like in a tank

I would be too scared to swim with wild dolphins... they kill sharks.

Dolphins actually protect humans from sharks though, evenin the wild, don't they?

My friend spotted a pod of dolphins when he went to the beach last weekend. In all my years living on Long Island, I've NEVER seen dolphins. Thanks global warming!!!

But, I wouldn't mind swimming with dolphins.

Anything bigger than that?

Awesome subject line. I expected it to be about strange bathing suits or something else orglike.

Cerebus said:

Awesome subject line. I expected it to be about strange bathing suits or something else orglike.

...oh come on now...did you think it was an Imago thread???

PurpleJedi said:

Cerebus said:

Awesome subject line. I expected it to be about strange bathing suits or something else orglike.

...oh come on now...did you think it was an Imago thread???

I honestly don't pay any attention to who started the thread before entering. Clearly this is something I need to work on.

Cerebus said:

PurpleJedi said:

...oh come on now...did you think it was an Imago thread???

I honestly don't pay any attention to who started the thread before entering. Clearly this is something I need to work on.

I myself say a prayer & take a shot of whisky before opening an Imago thread.