By Shana Phelan:
Winter in Florida, it’s an oxymoron for most of the country, but Floridians relish the opportunity to bundle up in jeans, jackets and the occasional scarf. In South Florida, where two seasons reign supreme, hot and hotter, locals welcome the cooler weather… and so do the sharks.
While the rest of Florida calls this time of year winter, divers refer to it as “shark season.” Each year, as the water temps drop to the mid to low the 70s and northeast and east winds prevail, sharks migrate in. Divers wrap themselves tip to toe in thick neoprene wetsuits, hoods, gloves and winter boat jackets, carefully sipping hot chocolate to brave the “blustery” winter conditions for the chance to see what lies underneath the surface. Lemon sharks are first on the scene.
Growing up to 10 feet long, lemon sharks’ yellow coloring serves as a perfect camouflage when swimming over the sandy sea floor. Divers and researchers recently discovered that lemon sharks use the waters of South Florida for their mating grounds. They congregate in our waters in January and February to reproduce. And lemons don’t just assemble for reproduction. It turns out they are social sharks in general, preferring to live in groups and loose aggregations. As such, divers usually find groups of lemons hovering stationary over the sand. It’s a most photogenic opportunity!
Spinner sharks migrate to our waters on the heels of the lemons. Every year, news channels provide aerial videos of thousands of these sharks assembling off the coast of South Florida. Usually smaller and sleeker than lemons, spinners get their name due to the unusual way they feed. They swim, usually in small groups, at high-speed spinning on their axis, snapping their mouths through schools of baitfish. The momentum created by this spiraling activity often culminates with them shooting up into the air and splashing back down into the water. Divers usually do not encounter these animals underwater for any length of time, as they swim too quickly away. However, topside viewing for boaters, divers, and beach-goers is spectacular!
Unfortunately, due to overfishing, habitat loss and other factors, both shark species currently show large population declines and sit on the IUCN Red List as Near-Threatened and Vulnerable.
So to celebrate the season of the shark and spread awareness of dwindling shark populations, Pura Vida Divers in West Palm Beach, Florida. is hosting a “Shark WEEKend.” We have Andrea Whitaker presenting at our shop on Singer Island the evening of Feb. 13 on Shark Counting. We are hosting a Shark Conservation Course and lemon shark dives on Feb. 14. And we’re conducting Shark Counting and Identification dives with Dr. Stephen Kajiura on February 15.
To participate in any/all of the events, please find the Shark WEEKend details at this link: http://www.puravidadivers.com/2015-shark-weekend. We look forward to seeing all of you during our Shark WEEKend celebration!