Shark at Castawy Cay - UPDATED with pictures

[com_op_2000]

Not sure if it's catch and release, but I don't think you're supposed to eat barracuda anyway. I could be wrong though.

You can eat barracuda. I have caught several over the years of deep-sea fishing.

 

[sws.london]

Zandy- got it. thanks.

 

[MinnesotaMouse]

I didn't see a shark, but last fall at the CC family beach I was amazed to see a ray (sting ray?)....then when DH and I were back at CC a couple weeks ago, I saw an even larger ray. There weren't many people around me, and he swam lazily by. I watched him swim towards a couple of little girls who were playing, so I just casually asked them to move a little closer to shore. They listened without question and never saw the ray swimming right towards them. I just didn't want them to be scared and start screaming.

You never know how people will react when you share that kind of news....some will freak out and high tail it out of the water, and some will go in for a closer look and think it's really cool!

Personally, I will admire the marine life from a safe distance and not run from the water.

 

[Pooh93]

I didn't see a shark, but last fall at the CC family beach I was amazed to see a ray (sting ray?)....then when DH and I were back at CC a couple weeks ago, I saw an even larger ray. There weren't many people around me, and he swam lazily by. I watched him swim towards a couple of little girls who were playing, so I just casually asked them to move a little closer to shore. They listened without question and never saw the ray swimming right towards them. I just didn't want them to be scared and start screaming.

You never know how people will react when you share that kind of news....some will freak out and high tail it out of the water, and some will go in for a closer look and think it's really cool!

Personally, I will admire the marine life from a safe distance and not run from the water.

My daughter and I had a similiar Stingray interaction last summer. It was fairly early before many people were in the water and we were playing around and soon 2 rays came in close to us and then circled back out. They came back again a couple times and finally wanted to bury themselves in the sand. My daughter and I were afraid they would get stepped on, so we gently walked behind them and encouraged them to move to deeper water for their safety. My daughter and I love the Stingrays and so we weren't afraid, but thought it was really neat!! We just talked about this in the last week. Great memories!

 

[Plaid Princess]

No worries. Nurse sharks are gentle and won't bother you if you don't bother it. It is not an aggressive predator type fish. I think Typhoon Lagoon has nurse sharks there, but I can't be sure, as part of the snorkeling.

Typhoon has Bonnethead sharks and Leopard sharks.

 

[stevenpensacola]

While snorkeling at Serenity Bay...almost straight out from the entrance to the beach...there is an area with exposed coral/rock/limestone bottom out there which has a "mini-canyon" running through it (about a foot deep)...which contains lots of pretty tropical fish.

Saw a fish similar to this out there. Did not have a normal tail, but swam by flapping the fins on his top and bottom...was about 18" long...with big eyes.

was similar to this, but it did not really have a normal tail:

 

[templed]

Ok... that's freakin cool! I'd be the first one in the water to go check it out.

lol

Ray's are fun... 99% harmless, unless you harass them. I was snorkeling off Key West one year, and I swam over a 6 ft. concealed Eagle Ray.... it immediately bolted... Scared the P**S out of me... (good thing I was in the water).

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Not off CC, but when I was 17 ((loooooong time ago)) I was at what is now Opal Beach out from Pensacola Beach with friends. I was out maybe chest deep and saw a whole bunch of rays swim past me in pretty close proximity. I didn't say a word or make a sound. I turned and high-tailed it straight out of the water. I've only been swimming at the beach maybe twice since then, never up to my chest like that again.

 

[vakamalua]

Snorkeled with about 15 7-foot reef sharks in the lagoon of Bora Bora. Even though I knew they were pretty harmless, my heart was pounding. I think something about sharks' shape and fin bring out instinctive fear.

 

[RetCM]

I haven't seen Barry, but I heard people going on about him when I was there in 2007. This last April, we saw a couple of Needle fish. Has anyone else seen them jumping out of the water? I understand they can do a bit of damage if they happen to jump into you.

 

[coli]

we saw a couple of Needle fish. Has anyone else seen them jumping out of the water? I understand they can do a bit of damage if they happen to jump into you.

If you tie string to them you can get them to do a pretty good blanket stitch.

Sorry - couldn't resist.

Sharks exist, barracuda exist, moray eels exist - part of the joys of living in tropical waters. Enjoy snorkeling just respect the home environment you are visiting - remeber you are the visitor, not the sea creature. Lion fish though - don't get me started on them - they are slowly devastating Caribbean waters as they are top of the food chain and not an Atlantic species. Many islands have a catch and destroy policy on them - Bermuda included.

 

[ludari]

I'm a scuba diver and obviously I've seen various sea life and rarely do I see sharks so your chances are very slim that you'll see one and your chances are even slimmer that you'll be attacked by one. Sharks get a bad reputation and the few times I have encountered sharks they are curious but maintain their distance. I am so not afraid of sharks that I am even looking into a scuba diving trip to Mexico to dive with great whites.

 

[com_op_2000]

Check out this news video/picture:

http://news.yahoo.com/video/sandieg...hoto-of-shark-spotted-at-swamis-26489219.html

10 - 12 foot shark pictured in the waves just off the beach, where surfers and dolphins are included in the picture.

 

[Disney Dreams]

This thread is over a year and a half old. No clue if the shark situation has changed over the years, but just thought I'd point out it's an old thread that has been bumped up a few times.

- Dreams

 

[dahuffy]

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Stuart Cove at Nassau us a huge draw for divers and snorkelers as a shark encounter. People pay hundreds of dollars and say its amazing. I am sure sharks are in there at Castaway since its also The Bahamas. (Probably a big reason the snorkel section is "barriered off" in the family section.) But I don't think they want to eat people. Occasional aggression is more what I worry about with a shark but they probably won't mess with u even if u have seen one. I never have and I have snorkeled four times in Bahamas, in Hawaii, in Virgin islands, in Honduras, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, lots of places..I think the only places i have seen small sharks was on the US gulf coast...

 

[Twofebboys]

Ummm...it is the ocean and that is where they live! From teaching sailing on the NC coast for years, I have been exposed to all types of sea life. To be honest, you probably have been swimming in the ocean with no clue what is around you. Just respect it and protect it.

 

[king kamehameha]

Please excuse my total ignorance of marine biology (I live in a land-locked state), but the barracuda doesn't look that scary. I've seen Finding Nemo and I know that they eat clownfish, but it doesn't look like a big threat to people. I don't remember hearing about barracuda attacks either. Should I worry about this?

Barracuda's like "shiny things" and will go after them. This goes for rings, necklaces, etc. because they see them as prey.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Good to note! Any advice as to what 'Barry' or 'Bruce' think about this:
http://www.finfunmermaid.com/media/...7fccd2ecd546/c/a/caribbean-sunset-monofin.jpg I mean, if I were them, I'd get the heck away from it, but then again, what do I know...

My parents were convinced sharks thought we looked like fish out there...? They actually made us come from snorkeling at BL in the open water...and we are 31!?? It actually put quite a sour note on the day and I plan to redo BL next time without the "every time I get on a plane, I face more of a threat than swimming in the ocean!" family drama...

 

[Disney Dreams]

Just worth noting this is a 3 1/2 year old thread that has been resurrected.

- Dreams