sharks on castaway cay?

[dinnysuw]

I know I may be a bit paranoid and at the risk of insighting a frenzy...are there sharks at castaway cay? i mean maybe i am naive but it is in the ocean where sharks live right? how do they keep the swimmers and snorkelers safe? i keep picturing myself lounging in the water and then suddenly I hear the them from jaws: dadunt dadunt dadunt...

 

[mhb]

My DD has the same fear. Would love to tell her to be brave, but she has that fear. I would love to hear what other have to say.

 

[mostyn17]

Noooo no sharks at CC.....If you look at the maps of the beach...it actually is closed off from the ocean...and I think they also have nets so only the smaller fish can get through. I have heard that a baracuda comes in once and a while.....But I have heard he does not bother anyone. There have probably been millions of people there since 1998 and I haven't heard of a shark bite yet.

The Adult beach on the other side of the island is open to the ocean...but its very very shallow. I have heard of only stingrays there. Don't worry.....its a very safe beach. Go, have a good time and relax!!



Travis

 

[travellady]

I have the same fear also and grew up on the New England coast, spending all my summer days at the beach. Sharks and bears are two of my big fears. I will no longer tent camp because 2 years ago a bear came into our campsite in the Oregon Cascades while we were sleeping. Believe me, I was frightened.

But, have yet to meet up with a shark - I stay pretty darned close to shore.

 

[mostyn17]

Here is a map....as you can see...there is a rock border. Its all save from the meat eatting fish!

I was also afraind of the shark situation......I think everyone is! Espically after the movie!!!!!!


Castaway Cay Map

 

[vikingfans]

Don't worry about sharks, Castaway Cay is a protected beach. The breakers keep those kinds of fish out. Just go and enjoy!!!

 

[inkkognito]

I "swam with the sharks" at the adult beach, which does not have a predator net like the family beach. But it was only a little nurse shark and totally non-aggressive. I probably wouldn't even have noticed it, but a fellow swimmer pointed it out and it swam right by me. I heard from other people that there were actually two, but I only saw one. I have also seen lots of stingrays there and one ink squirting squid, and my husband, who swims way out, has seen the barracuda many times (all my encounters are close to shore).
Barb

 

[erikthewise]

Watch out for the land sharks though.

 

[BMURPHY02]

just did the july 3 cruise and their are no sharks!!!

 

[tigger53]

we were at cc on serenity bay side on the july 4th wonder and a shark swam by me and i would say the water was only just past my knee. everyone around me thought it was neat to see a shark swim by but i guess i didn't have enough konk koolers yet so i high tailed it out of there. i have also seen the sting rays and lots of good sized fish, but even still i like to just float around and try not to be overly paranoid and order my "be brave medicine" from the cm's walking by.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Here is a map....as you can see...there is a rock border.

I looked at the map- but I don't see a rock border?

 

[jlawall]

I heard that there are sharks in the ocean when you do the BB, etc. I'm not sure if it's true. The BB is definitely worth it either way. The snorkeling is roped off from the direct ocean.

 

[1stNoel]

Everyone should have a healthy respect for the ocean and it's creatures before taking the plunge. Even with a breakwater and net protecting the area, you need to stay alert to currents, possible sealife and (most of all) your swimming abilities.

Shark sightings are pretty common in the Caribbean. Shark attacks are not common there and you really should not be concerned. The nice thing about that pretty white sand and clear water is that you are more likely to see the animal in the distance and be able to get yourself to an area where you are more comfortable. Some sharks are curious, but most truly do not want anything to do with us either.

Noel

 

[paulmc80]

Growing up in the middle of the ocean the least of my fears have been sharks. There are a host of other animals that can be every bit as bad for people or worse.

I would not give the idea of sharks near the beach a bit of worry at all. Especially at Castaway Cay.

 

[thevolcanogod]

I won't say you will never see a shark at Castaway Cay, but I will say you have nothing to worry about. As previous posters have already said, nets encircle all but the adult swimming areas - this should keep any large pelagics out - including sharks. If you do see sharks in these areas, they will most likely be juveniles.

Sharks don't see humans as a food source. We are relatively large animals and "taste" bad (our bodies generate electric currents that are unpleasant to them). Sharks are curious but they are relatively nervous creatures. They would much rather run away from us than bite us. The number one tip if you see a shark is to not provoke it. You can observe from a safe distance, but don't seek to touch it or "scare it away" - you might provoke a response that you don't desire.

If you see a shark while snorkling, simply swim into another area or get out of the water if you are uncomfortable. If you are brave, watch from a safe distance - they are very interesting. I remember my shark feeding dive on Grand Bahama Island where we got to SCUBA in an area where a handler was feeding about 32 black-tip reef sharks up to about 8' long. They were circling all around us and passing right between our heads as we were kneeling on the bottom watching. They never paid us any attention - we weren't a food source to them.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

The Adult beach on the other side of the island is open to the ocean...but its very very shallow. I have heard of only stingrays there.

I've been fortunate enough to spot a shark while snorkeling off the adult beach (even got a picture with my underwater camera). As best as I could tell, it was an adult shark about 6' in length.

However, I was in about 6 feet of water about 100 yards from shore.

The water near the shore is very shallow (I'd guess you have to get about 100 feet from shore before the water gets 4' deep) and goes to about 8 feet deep or so near the orange floats.

 

[ann-e-mator]

My daughter and I were fortunate enough to see them as we were parasailing... it was awesome, but of course we were 100s of feet above them...

One reminder though about the barracudas...

Make sure you do not wear any jewelry or anything shiny in the water in the Caribbean...barracudas are attracted to anything shiny...leave the jewelry off...

 

[Cheryl592000]

Yes, there is a "resident barracuda." His name is "Barry" so I have been told. We saw him last October at the family beach, swimming very slowly at the surface of the water. Just looking around with his big eyes! Quite frankly it scared the living daylights out of me! But, he just minded his own business as I carefully moved away from him. I guess he has been around for a long time. He was about 3 or 4 feet long!

 

[mark & sandra]

Just a thought- You don't need to swim faster then the shark to be safe. You just have to swim faster then the people around you...Mark

 

[dinnysuw]

Just a thought- You don't need to swim faster then the shark to be safe. You just have to swim faster then the people around you...Mark

LOL