ENJOY
SNORKELING AND SCUBA DIVING IN THE BAHAMAS, BUT BE WARY OF THE TIGER SHARK!
You will love the underwater Bahamas! The crystal-clear,
gin-colored waters offer adventuresome entertainment for tourists. However,
when snorkeling or scuba diving in the Bahamas, avoid the Tiger shark at all
costs. The lady in the photo is making a mistake, for the Tiger shark she is
snorkeling with can be aggressive and has attacked humans a recorded 111 times. Hint: Go with a certified Diving Operation in the Bahamas to meet sharks. Don't go it alone! (Watch the video below)
The Tiger shark is frequently
encountered by scuba divers throughout the Bahamas, and it feeds on the turtles,
other sharks, and even whales. It is especially abundant off
Tiger Beach, which is a shallow sandy area 30km north-west of West End on
Grand Bahama. Shark tourism is popular in the Bahamas.
Although sharks rarely bite
humans, the Tiger shark has the largest share of
fatal shark-bite incidents, making it one of the most dangerous
shark species. They often visit shallow reefs, harbors, and canals,
creating the potential for encounter with humans.
I became enthralled by a 14-foot Tiger
shark that was seen gliding through a boat marina in Abaco, Bahamas. I also learned
much about their mysterious behaviors from the staff at the Bimini, Bahamas
Shark Research Lab. In fact, while at the lab, they caught one in the nets they
set up offshore to capture and tag/release sharks. They found a high frequency
of mature Tiger shark females and juveniles, which led to the hypothesis that
Bimini serves as a nursery grounds for this species. Tiger sharks prefer
shallow water habitats (such as those found to the south, east, and north of
Bimini) as juveniles and progressively move to deeper oceanic waters (such as
to the west of Bimini) as they grow larger.
The more I learned about these fascinating sharks, I had to devote several episodes in the PENUMBRA DATABASE spy thriller to them. CIA Spymaster Corey Pearson ventures to Nassau, Bahamas after a young CIA agent he recruited was killed by a Tiger shark. Was it an accident… or murder? Although sharks rarely bite humans, the Tiger shark has the largest share of fatal shark-bite incidents and is regarded as one of the most dangerous shark species. Corey’s recruit found out the hard way. Here’s a snippet from that scene in the PENUMBRA DATABASE:
The scent
reached the tiger shark resting eighty feet below in the cooler waters. Millions
of years of evolution caused its prehistoric brain to awaken when a minuscule amount
of blood reached the cartilaginous beast. Its station-wagon sized body rose from
the blue hole and tracked down the origin of the continuous blood slick. The dorsal
fin protruded above the waves as it glided over the shallow reefs and approached
the dock. Dagger Mouth grew energized as the blood trail grew stronger. Its electromagnetic
sensors switched on to pick up any vibrations or minuscule electric fields generated
from the source of the bloody fragrance.
“Here da monsta’ come! Quick, Cherestal, let’s
make our friend more appetizin'. We gonna make you into chicken chumsicle, my silent
friend who don’t talk!”
Bolan began to laugh as he stuffed chicken
parts into the oversized wetsuit, while Cherestal poked holes in it with his knife.
The silent man finally spoke.
“I want you to tell Sandoval something. The
organization I work for has resources beyond your comprehension. They will stalk
you to the ends of the earth…and spend limitless resources to do so. They will exterminate
Sandoval and both of you. You’ve made a grave mistake…your lives will go to the
dogs after today.”
Perhaps it was the somber tone, the unexpected
confidence or the resoluteness buttressing their prisoner’s last words that made
them stop chuckling.
Cherestal blurted out, “Dis man should be beggin’
fo' his life…not threaten us!”
Tougas yelled at his cohort, “Shut the fuck
up! You forget we on video!”
Sandoval would view the video and hear the
prisoner’s words. The Haitian duo feared him more than this mystery man of mental
steel. They hooked the ankle chains onto the mobile lift. Cherestal cranked the
manual winch and the man in the bloated wetsuit stuffed with dripping chicken parts
was hoisted upside down into the air and lowered to a foot above the water’s surface.
The nineteen-foot shark glided in circles several
times around the head of the sandy-haired man, who closed his eyes and remained
silent. On the third pass, the 2,150-pound creature lunged. In an instant, Bolan
and Cherestal stared at a severed pelvic bone and two legs dangling from the lift.
Tougas shut off the video cam. “I hope Sandoval
not be angry at us. We couldn’t get da brave man to scream.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Now
that I’ve got you scared to death about entering the Bahamian waters, don’t be!
I’ve run into Caribbean reef sharks, Nurse sharks, and many other species while
snorkeling and scuba diving in the Bahamas, and never felt any danger at all. They
are, basically, docile creatures.
Watch this video and meet “HOOK” a gigantic
Tiger shark that roams the Bahamian waters:
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