are there any areas that have sharks

[tiggerandpooh]

just wondering if there are any areas on the 7-night eastern cruise that have any sharks to look for. my wife is concerned, because of the shark attacks lately

 

[Jsme]

Sharks can be anywhere in the Ocean. At CC they have predator nets and some of the water excursion elsewhere have enclosures as well.

 

[Skaught]

Every body of water on the planet has sharks. So to answer your question, yes, there are sharks in the waters your cruise will be on (and every other cruise in the world). Your chances of getting hit by lightning are greater than being bit by a shark, though I know that logic isn't really going to help in this type of situation.

Do you remember back in the summber of '01 the news was full of stories about shark attacks? Then suddenly the news stories stopped. Why? Because 9/11 happened. It was just a slow summer for news, so the reports made it seem like a lot of attacks were going on when in fact that year was lower than average.

Anyway, I doubt I helped, but dems de facts!

Scott

 

[UGAFan0829]

Sharks can be anywhere in the Ocean. At CC they have predator nets and some of the water excursion elsewhere have enclosures as well.

Actually, I think that I read that the family beach is the only part of CC that is protected by the nets. I think I remember reading that the adult-only beach (Serenity Bay) is wide open and unprotected. But it is good to know that the family part is protected!

 

[TheWog]

Actually, I think that I read that the family beach is the only part of CC that is protected by the nets. I think I remember reading that the adult-only beach (Serenity Bay) is wide open and unprotected. But it is good to know that the family part is protected!

Someone on the boards has a picture taken on the Adult Beach side of a shark in the water.

Yes, there are sharks everywhere you will go, but they won't bother you. We saw several sharks during our submarine excursion, but then again, we wanted to and were looking for them. The islands don't usually have problems with sharks visiting the beaches.

 

[Jsme]

LOL I have not been to SB yet. I did not even think about it not being included in the netting. Thanks for letting me know. Since the water is so clear at least I can see it coming before it bites me.

 

[UGAFan0829]

LOL I have not been to SB yet. I did not even think about it not being included in the netting. Thanks for letting me know. Since the water is so clear at least I can see it coming before it bites me.

You're welcome. SB is beautiful, and I'm sure that you will enjoy it there. Very quiet and tranquil. You are right about the water being clear. And I didn't even know that the family beach was protected until we had gotten back from our cruise. You learn something new everyday...LOL!!

 

[TheWog]

here's a link to a thread about sharks as well.

HooKooDooKu's post (#4) has the picture she took off SB.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=720290&highlight=shark+pictures

 

[logan1_2000]

Don't want to be around sharks? Then be good to your spouse or make peace with your Ex and don't come around my law firm....

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Here is a Direct link to the Picture HooKooDooKu took while HE was snorkelling in Serinity Bay.

It's not immediately obvious, but look and you will see the shark's outline a little below the 9:00 o'clock position in the picture. Previous discusions in the forum have come to the concusion that this was a 6 foot long Reef Shark. The recent "killer" attacks off the coast of Florida were claimed to be Bull Sharks (I'm not familier with the difference).

While I have no fear of sharks in the water (it was quite thrilling to see this one and even better to manage a picture of it), it's yet another reason why you should always use the buddy system when swimming. DW and I have abandoned snorkelling swims in Serinity Bay when we've had waves that were big enough that we could loose site of each other only 10 feet away.

 

[TheWog]

Here is a Direct link to the Picture HooKooDooKu took while HE was snorkelling in Serinity Bay.

.

Sorry....

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Sorry....

No Problem, just didn't want others to perpetuate the myth.

 

[Jsme]

I was going to ask someone if they knew where to look fo rthe "shark" picture. Geez, the water really does not look too clear. he might get me while I am not looking.

 

[996turbos]

Remember, not all sharks are in the water. Try talking to those DVC salespeople on board and you might get bit!!! Just joking, I think!?

 

[Honu]

Here is a Direct link to the Picture HooKooDooKu took while HE was snorkelling in Serinity Bay.
It's not immediately obvious, but look and you will see the shark's outline a little below the 9:00 o'clock position in the picture. Previous discusions in the forum have come to the concusion that this was a 6 foot long Reef Shark. The recent "killer" attacks off the coast of Florida were claimed to be Bull Sharks (I'm not familier with the difference).

It does look like a reef shark. Bull Sharks have a rounded snout, are much bigger/stockier than Reef Sharks and they can be aggressive. Reef Sharks have a more pointed snout and are sleek and graceful in the water. For those that may be scared of a possible reef shark at CC, this link shows caribbean reef sharks feeding. Notice all the divers have their limbs and the sharks are only interested in the fish.

 

[mickeyboat]

When we honeymooned on St. John we saw a small nurse shark, right up near the beach. We were alone on the beach (ie the only bait) so we high tailed it out of there.

Deane

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I was going to ask someone if they knew where to look fo rthe "shark" picture. Geez, the water really does not look too clear. he might get me while I am not looking.

The water was acctually pretty clear. You have to remember that in even just a few feet of water, there is less light than on the surface. So when you throw in a cheap one-time use underwater camera, the pictures don't come out too bright.

However, the picture does show how well the color of the shark blends with the background. I only saw the shark for maybe 10 seconds as he swam by (he's about 20 feet away from me) before I completely lost him in the background.

 

[disneybride96]

Here is some perspective and a nice website:

In the U.S., your chances of getting killed by lightning are 30 times greater than dying of a shark attack.

Bees, wasps, and snakes kill more people each year than sharks.

Drowning, heart attacks, beach accidents resulting in spinal injury, sunburn, cuts from stepping on sea shells, dehydration, jellyfish stings, and traffic accidents going to or from the beach are all far more common than shark attacks.

In 1996 in the U.S. there were 18 reported injuries and deaths from shark attacks, but 198,849 injuries from working with screws, nails, tacks, and bolts; 138,894 injuries from ladders; 43,687 injuries from toilets; and 36,091 injuries while pruning, trimming, or edging plants.

Between 1959 and 1990, 5,528 people were stuck by lightning in the 22 coastal states (excluding Alaska) and Puerto Rico, with 1,505 fatalities. During the same period, there were 336 shark attacks in the coastal waters of those states, with 12 fatalities.

In 1987, New York City reported the following number of people bitten by dogs: 8,064; other people, 1,587; cats, 802; rats, 291; squirrels, 95, raccoons, 11; ferrets, 7; skunk, 3. There were 13 shark injuries reported nationwide the same year.

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/sharks1.html

 

[Jsme]

Sorry HooKooDooKu, I am just joking around about the color of the water. I love CC. Half the reason we go on DCL is for this island. I have been having a blast reading this thread and not at the expense of the orginial poster.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Sorry HooKooDooKu, I am just joking around about the color of the water. I love CC. Half the reason we go on DCL is for this island. I have been having a blast reading this thread and not at the expense of the orginial poster.

There's nothing to be sorry for. As I tried to point out, your observation was pretty much on the mark. Look at the picture again and you can see just how well the color of the shark blends in with the "background" color of the water. At the same time, I was trying to point out that the water looks clearer when you see it in person compared to what it looks like on film.

If you anlyze the picture and start with the fact that the water is about 6 foot deep, you can begin to see from this "poor quality" picture that visability underwater that day was something on the order of 40-80 feet.