By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Hemiscyllium ocellatum, the Epaulette Shark By Bloody Bill As I’m finishing up this article before going to work the kitchen for $2 Taco Tuesday at Taco City, I realized these little sharks are more common in our area than I ever could have imagined. This is the second of my ongoing reports of common sharks we may see in our local aquariums, restaurants, and pet shops. This month’s species is one that caught my eye several years ago in a higher-end seafood restaurant in Stuart. My chick... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Photo: Andy Murch / Elasmodiver.com Chiloscyllium plagiosum, the Whitespotted Bamboo Shark Sharks are pretty cool, there’s no doubt about it. Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, you’re pretty much going to be interested in finding out more about them. I’ve written about many of the larger and more common ones you may encounter in our waters and beyond. I’ve written about the ones that scare the crap out of us in the surf, the ones we see during “Shark Week” that can bite your face off,... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Echinorhinus brucus, The Bramble Shark Well, it would seem that there aren’t many sharks that ol’ Bloody Bill hasn’t seen with his own eyes, but trust me, there are so many species out there that it’s nearly impossible to check them all out in a single lifetime. Echinorhinus brucus is another of those just plain weird sharks that still make seasoned scientists like myself shake their heads. Shark evolution is baffling; the best minds in marine science continually wonder how... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
I’ve been told to never get close to the salmon shark, even though I’d also been told that it was unlikely I’d ever see one with my own eyes. But you can’t imagine the horrific feeling I got from my first eventual sight of one — and neither could the governmental agency responsible for me. The salmon shark is a large species, with a maximum reported size of 10 feet, often a bluish gray color above and a lighter shade of white below. Indicative characteristics of the... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Megachasma pelagios, the Megamouth Shark This month will mark the 8-year anniversary of my documentation of a very rare shark off the coast of California. It was only the 15th time it had been documented by scientists. Since my encounter with this species, 27 additional individuals have been reported from around the world. On November 15, 1976, a U.S. Navy ship off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii made what may be considered as one of the greatest discoveries in shark science. A shark unlike any previously... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Carcharias taurus, the Sand Tiger Shark Sharks have a terrible reputation in our area for some reason. Maybe it’s the attacks, maybe its the toothy grin that people see at the aquariums. Sharks were a large part of my life for many years, and until this weekend, I had one of the largest collections of shark and shark relatives in our area. I have encountered so many species in my time, and have been lucky enough to be able to retain mementos of the species that I had seen over the years. As the... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Carcharhinus limbatus, the Blacktip Shark We’ve been seeing a heck of a lot of these sharks in the news again. As it’s time for these sharks to be in our area, many people keep asking me this question: “How the do you tell the difference between blacktip and spinner sharks?” Well, I’m going to tell ya’ll. Since we live in Central Florida, I’ve chosen a species that I consider number one for shark attacks in our area. We all remember the infamous week of... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Negaprion acutidens, the Sicklefin Lemon Shark Well, something amazing has happened. My good friend, Cocoa Beach’s own Eric Super, recently married the beautiful Jessica Iliev on June 13 in Waialua, Hawaii. I extend my congratulations to the both of you. It was while attending their wedding that I thought of a shark that resides in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; somewhat fitting, seeing as how Eric’s an Atlantic guy now living in Hawaii. Although these two kinds of lemon sharks... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Carcharhinus Brachyurus, the Narrowtooth Shark We seem to be nationwide bruddahs — we have readers from Florida to Hawaii to Alaska. We even have one of our own who infiltrated the Kentucky Derby with his girl — and they did it beautifully. We may not be the most polite or the most proper, or even the smartest. I will tell you though, we have heart. When we travel, we let others know the way we do things at the beach, and we do it right. I had a bro from Chicago visit recently, and all... [Read more...]
By: Bloody Bill
Article Category: Shark Report
Rhinobatus lentinginosus, the Atlantic Guitarfish Well, Bloody Bill just got back from being out at sea, not as a fisherman and not as a deckhand (as much as some in the panhandle would like to believe — you know who you are). I just came off the research vessel Tommy Munro out of southern Mississippi and serving as a scientist. Many thanks to the crew of this great vessel for helping myself and the other scientists in completing our tasks and making our trip a truly enjoyable experience.... [Read more...]
