Giving it a try finally...kayaking... (Merritt Island: fit in, design, budget)

[jdweaze]

That was something I was wondering... So I have to worry about Jellyfish... what about sharks? And what other awesome marine/aquatic critters do I need to worry about? Can't say that I am a huge fan of sharks.

[fsu813]

Sharks are pretty common. We loose 2-3 swimmers a year from shark attacks at Jax Beach.

Couple with the box jellyfish (a particularly nasty kind that has killed people in the past), no one really goes in the water.

Heck, a few years ago a guy was just walking ankle deep in the ocean with his girlfriend and a shark sprang up out of a deep pool and bit a chunk of his leg out. Almost died on the way to the hospital.

So, although we have a beach, it's for looking purposes only.

So cruel.

[jdweaze]

Are you serious??? That is seriously depressing... so what about the surfers? Is that really an issue when you SUP?

[madcapmagishion]

Originally Posted by jdweaze

That was something I was wondering... So I have to worry about Jellyfish... what about sharks? And what other awesome marine/aquatic critters do I need to worry about? Can't say that I am a huge fan of sharks.

Jellyfish, Worry? No! Be Aware of yes.They are pretty rare here, but every now and then when the wind is "just" right they can blow inshore, from the Gulf Stream.

Sharks are another matter. There are sharks just about anywhere there is salt water. And every year twice a year we get a mass migration of Blacktip sharks that goes right by the beaches here. (spring/fall) The question is will they bother you? Probably not! Unless your bleeding or acting like a baitfish. In fact very few are ever seen, and when they are it's usually by offshore fishermen who hook up Spinner sharks every now and then. (great fighting fish) Guiness Book of World records fact ~ The worlds record Hammerhead shark was caught off of the end of the Jax Beach Pier in 1975 by Blackie Reasor it was 14'2'' long and weighed 703 pounds.

Other awesome marine/aquatitc critters, would a mass migration of Right Whales intrest you? It too happens every year, twice a year (spring/fall) as they go down south in the spring to give birth and then go back north in the fall to feed. Maybe why the Blacktips migrate then also.
Sad Note ~ Right whales were named by whalers who identified them as the "right" whale to kill on a hunt.

[madcapmagishion]

Originally Posted by fsu813

Sharks are pretty common. We loose 2-3 swimmers a year from shark attacks at Jax Beach.

Couple with the box jellyfish (a particularly nasty kind that has killed people in the past), no one really goes in the water.

Heck, a few years ago a guy was just walking ankle deep in the ocean with his girlfriend and a shark sprang up out of a deep pool and bit a chunk of his leg out. Almost died on the way to the hospital.

So, although we have a beach, it's for looking purposes only.

So cruel.

Wait! You forgot about the Blue Ringed Octopus and the Sea Snakes.

LOL and the sharks call the surfers sushi too!

[jdweaze]

Now the whales would certainly be interesting to see... Sharks... That's still up in the air for me. Can I kayak or SUP safely in the ocean without being bothered by the sharks? Silly fear I know... but it's a big fear of mine lol

[madcapmagishion]

Originally Posted by jdweaze

Now the whales would certainly be interesting to see... Sharks... That's still up in the air for me. Can I kayak or SUP safely in the ocean without being bothered by the sharks? Silly fear I know... but it's a big fear of mine lol

Yes! People do it all the time with no worries. Huguenot Memorial Park is the best place to do it around that I can think of. As you can drive your vehicle out onto the beach and make launching easier.

[jdweaze]

FSU... are you messing with me?? Not nice lol

[fsu813]

[madcapmagishion]

I live on the river about 20 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and occasionally we get Dolphins chasing bait fish behind the house.
And as a kid I remember catching baby Hammerheads further up river in Orange Park off a friends parents dock on River Rd.