Time for a swim???

Best time to get in the water, right around sunset. LOL.

There's the sunset.

Took a little trip to SAV BTW.

I grew up in Lauderdale next to the ocean and never recalled a shark attack .. I haven't even been near a beach since I moved to SC and don't plan to go since sharks seem to like the SC coast.

X

on the discovery channel thay actually said that the waters off the coast of florida were some of the most dangerous in the world for multiple reasons... nothing was ever mentiond about sc though...

I wouldn't say our waters in the Low Country are very dangerous. The water is very rich with food of all kinds so there are many baby sharks but the waters are also very shallow for the most part and the big sharks don't like the shallow waters. There are big Tiger and Hammer Head sharks in the shipping channels and deep water but you wouldn't be swimming there or at least I wouldn't be. You can beach a boat on a sand bar a mile out from the HHI beach. A scary thing I saw was a loggerhead turtle that had been bitten in half washed up on the Sea Pines beach. I know the Tigers eat the sea turtles but you have to see that to really get a good idea of what exactly happened. Whatever bit a 500lbs hard shelled turtle in half would eat you no problem at all. The May river scares me a little too. Bull sharks in there during the summer.

On the other hand I can't remember anyone getting more than a small bite from a shark in the 20 years I've been here. Usually no one really knows what actually did the bitting. Number one and two trouble makers here are baby sting rays and jelly fish around this time of year. Early in the year no stinging jelly fish they show up when the water gets very warm and the sting rays get stepped on so they just automatically barb you when you step on one. Shuffle your feet and they get out of the way.

I don't know what happened in the 70's and 80's around here but I can tell you the hardcore fishermen have been having a field day this year, you name the fish and it's been here in large numbers. Lots of fat Cobia, tarpon have been around in numbers, red fish breding program seems to have paid off, etc etc.

For anyone wondering about the water depths.

http://mapserver.mytopo.com/homepage/index.cfm?lat=32.0742162177&lon=-80.6444049002&scale=449659&zoom=50&type=0&icon=0&searchscope=dom&CFID=2304043&CFTOKEN=81536976&scriptfile=http://mapserver.mytopo.com/homepage/index.cfm&latlontype=DMS

Found this. Maybe the tigers are a little closer than I thought.
http://swimatyourownrisk.com/2009/07/10/big-ol-tiger-shark-caught-in-south-carolina/

My son (when he was 11) caught a small shark off the beach of Sea Pines .......they had a home by the Monarch....when he was surf fishing with my dad....that little guy was so proud........and that shark had some teeth!

He still talks about it!

This is why I don't swim! I do not want to be lunch.

The fishermen are always catching sharks in our golf coast waters - from baby sharks to some pretty big ones - they are fishing about a block off shore - I live 6 blocks from the ocean and my Grandkids live across the street - never see us swimming in the ocean!

I wade out up to my knees and the kids and parents go about 50' out, where the water is waist-high, but forget going out as far as the tourists do! The tourists pay very little heed to the flags put up by the coast guard - not too wise!

Core, you are so baaaadddd. You do all know that the first picture is really a dophin don't you??????

Yes, I did recognize it as a Dolfin, but it looks enough like a shark's fin to start a conversation. I don't wish to swim in the ocean for MANY reasons! LOL

Hehe, yes the ocean was loaded with Dolphins when we were out.

Dolfins are breath-taking, aren't they?!!!

baaadddddd

yipes, jaws

Lavina

Looky what Loree found Saturday.

I agree Core, the waters in the low country aren't more remarkably "dangerous" for swimmers than many other areas. But they ARE dangerous! Can't tell you how many juvenile sharks I've caught over the past 20 years in waters around here---but it's many thousands. Juvenile Bull, Lemon,Great White, Sand, you name it, I've caught it, right here in river city! Why I choose not to partake in swimming with them...cause they're momma's still around. This low country shoreline of ours has also been identified as "Primary Breeding Ground" for many of the man-eating species by the Federal Government, in case that's important...

LOL, when we first moved to SC back in the mid 60's the beaches were littered with sharks teeth. There weren't too many collectors in those days. I was young and not too smart because I figured there had to be a an awful lot of sharks out there if they were losing that many teeth. DUH, later they told this silly yankee the teeth were millions of years old.

Yes those are fossils, amazes me that so many teeth survived this long.