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Shark encounters in Southwest Florida

The body of a blacktip shark that washed up in the surf off Sand Dollar Island lies at the high water mark. The shark was estimated to be about 5-feet long with a weight of around 60-70 pounds. Rhonda Watkins, who is with Collier County Pollution Control, said water samples from the area had been taken, and sections of the shark were to be transported immeditately to a laboratory in St. Petersburg for analysis. She said results of both tests would be known in a few days, but added that the water didn’t appear similar to that responsible for a recent fish kill north of Marco Island.

Photo by QUENTIN ROUX, Staff

The body of a blacktip shark that washed up in the surf off Sand Dollar Island lies at the high water mark. The shark was estimated to be about 5-feet long with a weight of around 60-70 pounds. Rhonda Watkins, who is with Collier County Pollution Control, said water samples from the area had been taken, and sections of the shark were to be transported immeditately to a laboratory in St. Petersburg for analysis. She said results of both tests would be known in a few days, but added that the water didn’t appear similar to that responsible for a recent fish kill north of Marco Island.

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  • Jake DeAngelis, 4, checks out the second fish of his life, a nice little nurse shark. DeAngelis' first fish was a grouper caught in about 40 feet of water. Jake's mother, Heidi L. Bruner, said the group also watched a 10-foot tiger shark near the surface. E-mail you photo to news@naplesnews.com to be considered for this feature.
  • Benjamin Smith of Fort Myers holds up a juvenile shark he caught while night fishing from a local beach. E-mail your photo to news@naplesnews.com to be considered for this feature.
  • Marlene Bartels of Bonita Beach and Sanford, Mich. sent in this photo of a shark caught off Bonita Beach. “The guy holding the tail was one of two guys that landed the shark after a 90 minutes fight,” Bartels wrote. “Minutes after the picture was taken, the shark was released to the cheers of the crowd. The size was estimated to be 5 to 6 feet in length. No one was brave enough to measure him.”
  • Wesley Bedell, left, and Jeron Kenen show off a juvenile shark they landed while fishing offshore. E-mail your photo to cgillis@naplesnews.com to be considered for this feature.
  • Michael Lazarus holds a 3-foot blacktip shark he landed while fishing off Marco Island. E-mail your photo to cgillis@naplesnews.com to be considered for this feature.
  • Samantha Smith-Johnson holds up a bonnethead shark she caught while fishing with Heather Johnson. E-mail your image to news@naplesnews.com to be considered for this feature.
  • Andy Owen sent in this photo of a hammerhead shark at boat side. The shark was caught off Naples on cut bait and spinning gear. E-mail your photo to cgillis@naplesnews.com to be considered for this feature.
  • The body of a blacktip shark that washed up in the surf off Sand Dollar Island lies at the high water mark. The shark was estimated to be about 5-feet long with a weight of around 60-70 pounds. Rhonda Watkins, who is with Collier County Pollution Control, said water samples from the area had been taken, and sections of the shark were to be transported immeditately to a laboratory in St. Petersburg for analysis. She said results of both tests would be known in a few days, but added that the water didn’t appear similar to that responsible for a recent fish kill north of Marco Island.
  • Cody Griffith along with his girlfriend Candis Hagan and friend Billy Middleton photographed whale sharks while grouper fishing 50 miles off Sanibel Island. Cody Griffith
  • A Whale shark swam up to Marco angler Dale Goble's boat while he, his wife, Anita, and two friends were fishing for amberjack at the Baja California wreck.
  • Five-year-old Tyler Guthman with a bonnethead shark caught on shrimp and released in Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter.
  • A five and a half foot, 65 pounds plus, black tip shark that John Brossard caught and released while fishing with his two sons and Jr. angler Billy Harder who also caught and released one about the same size.
  • Fifteen year old Tony Yarnell with a 75 pound black tip shark he caught while fishing from the outer shoreline using a small live mullet. It took a good half hour for him to beach it on light tackle. Several species of sharks should be increasing in their numbers as we move into April.
  • Christopher Evans writes, 'I caught this 4-foot blacktip shark off the coast of Bonita Beach on the south side of Little Hickory Island. We used a 9-inch lady fish for bait. Reeled her in on 50lb tess line took about 30 minutes to get her to shore. Snapped a few photos and set her free in the Gulf for some one else to play with her next time.'
  • Marco angler Jeremy Cihlar holding a 34-pound shark he caught and released while fishing aboard Allen Chamberlain’s charter boat.
  • John and Donna Brauer, Bonita Springs seasonal residents, had just arrived at Barefoot Beach on Sunday, October 21. John, an avid fisherman from Clifton, New Jersey, was surprised with his first cast. The shark was caught on shrimp at approximately 11 a.m.
  • Marco angler Kerry Kudson holds a shark that his fishing friend Bill Olhan caught. It was just one of 40 they caught and released while fishing about five miles offshore.
  • Max Brewer of Chicago Ill displays a nice black tip shark he caught and released while fishing with Marco Capt. Phil Ridge of the charter boat Blue Runner. Ridge reports that the black tips are abundant in the near shore waters.
  • Kevin and Daniel Smith holding a Hammerhead shark they caught and released while fishing with their grandfather, Marco angler Gerard DelGrosso. It was one of several species they caught near shore.
  • Father and son anglers Barry and Matt Wampler with a 40-inch shark released on a recent Fishbuster Charter offshore.

It's not uncommon to see or catch sharks while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

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