# So I was swimming at the beach with the dog...



## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Crazy story to share from Saturday. I had a new soccer ball I brought to a local beach. Jäger was trying to grab it whilst swimming but kept pushing it further out. So I swam out to get it myself. Well we were a few hundred yards out and way beyond any swimmers/surfers/over my head... And I got bumped by a shark... 3 times in about 20 seconds. That made me recall the dog and go for shore. It was exactly like the Wilson scene from castaway. I was within 20 feet of the ball but on the third big bump I said "F this, I'm out of here". The long swim back with Jäger was pretty sketchy. I was just waiting for one of us to take a bite from a shark and feeling helpless to see it coming much less do anything about it. Scary shit I tell you. Especially with the great whites showing up around here. May not let the dogs go more than waist deep anymore lol. Seen big sharks here before but always way way offshore. Anyway... Exciting weekend


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

That shark would have to suck his way through a lot of cloudy, brown water to bite me. 8-[


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## Jay Quinn (Apr 1, 2012)

hahaha, yeah, saving Wilson is not worth getting eaten by a shark! i'm with Bob....


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Bob Scott said:


> That shark would have to suck his way through a lot of cloudy, brown water to bite me. 8-[


That made me laugh. 

You and me both, Bob.


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## Tiago Fontes (Apr 17, 2011)

Hunter Allred said:


> Crazy story to share from Saturday. I had a new soccer ball I brought to a local beach. Jäger was trying to grab it whilst swimming but kept pushing it further out. So I swam out to get it myself. Well we were a few hundred yards out and way beyond any swimmers/surfers/over my head... And I got bumped by a shark... 3 times in about 20 seconds. That made me recall the dog and go for shore. It was exactly like the Wilson scene from castaway. I was within 20 feet of the ball but on the third big bump I said "F this, I'm out of here". The long swim back with Jäger was pretty sketchy. I was just waiting for one of us to take a bite from a shark and feeling helpless to see it coming much less do anything about it. Scary shit I tell you. Especially with the great whites showing up around here. May not let the dogs go more than waist deep anymore lol. Seen big sharks here before but always way way offshore. Anyway... Exciting weekend



Cool story. Where was this? Any idea what kind of shark?

A few years ago, I went to the beach in Pleasure Island (Wilmington NC) and was warned against swimming far away from shore... 


Regards


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Get in the water, get in the food chain.......

Glad you and your pooch made it out without incident.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Tiago Fontes said:


> Cool story. Where was this? Any idea what kind of shark?
> 
> A few years ago, I went to the beach in Pleasure Island (Wilmington NC) and was warned against swimming far away from shore...
> 
> ...


Kiawah Island, SC. No idea what sort of shark. Couldn't see him, just felt him. Not big enough to eat me, but probably big enough to give me stitches.


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

Growing up in Florida I spent a lot of time surfing (and girl watching  ) Been bumped many a time by sharks and large predator fish close to shore at certain times of the year. Jellyfish suck, but Man O' Wars suck even more. Never got bit but it's a fairly regular occurance every year here. You don't realize what you're swimming with until you do a little surf fishing. :0


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Howard Knauf said:


> Growing up in Florida I spent a lot of time surfing (and girl watching  ) Been bumped many a time by sharks and large predator fish close to shore at certain times of the year. Jellyfish suck, but Man O' Wars suck even more. Never got bit but it's a fairly regular occurance every year here. You don't realize what you're swimming with until you do a little surf fishing. :0


oh I know whats out there... I have an offshore boat and go fishing all the time. I've known there are sharks, big sharks, in the surf, just the first time I've been bumped by one. I was more concerned with the dog getting bit to be honest.. he was probably splashing less than me anyway though


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

It is spooky not being able to see what's swimming with you. You can tell it's shark contact by the abrasions they leave on your skin. Predator fish are slick feeling. Lucky your boy didn't end up as lunch.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

I got bumped a couple of times. It wasn't a shark. It was the old lady smacking me to quit starring at the bikini babe a few yards away. LOL


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Spooky!! Glad everyone made it thru ok!

I've heard that even waist deep isn't shallow enuf!


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

mel boschwitz said:


> Spooky!! Glad everyone made it thru ok!
> 
> I've heard that even waist deep isn't shallow enuf!


People have been nailed in knee deep water by large bull sharks before... and in fresh water. "Bull sharks have occasionally gone up the Mississippi River as far upstream as Alton, Illinois."


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Howard Knauf said:


> It is spooky not being able to see what's swimming with you. You can tell it's shark contact by the abrasions they leave on your skin. Predator fish are slick feeling. Lucky your boy didn't end up as lunch.


Him or me lol.

Yeah thats how I knew it was a shark was the skin contact. This wasn't a huge one though... probably 3-5ft or so.


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## Catherine Gervin (Mar 12, 2012)

wow--a whole bunch of "no thank you" to being anything less than the top of the food chain!! if it were a bigger shark would it have taken an investigatory bite instead of bumping you and not biting? is it just up to the shark's personal prerogative? regardless, it sounds as though you were very lucky!!! no harm to you or to your pup--thank goodness.
i, for my part, am a hopeless fan of sharks, especially Great Whites, who are so fat and cute!!, but i also do not go swimming so it isn't like my devotion is put to the test.


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## Brian McQuain (Oct 21, 2009)

What's wrong with that, cuz? Sharks are naturally peaceful. Sharks are like dogs, they only bite when you touch their private parts.

Notice how Hunter was silent on the "mudding the water" comment, and how he was left alone all the way back to shore...you left a trail all the way back in, didnt you? I bet the shark was coming in for a little taste, got within 20 feet, and had the same thought you did: "f that, Im out of here."


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Damn... this bad boy was surely very near by


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

Nice shark tracker. Just saw in the paper here a few days ago that a 1000 lb Great White (forget her name) was off Cape Canaveral. She makes regular trip down this way from up your way. She's on the same type of tracker list you posted.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Howard Knauf said:


> Nice shark tracker. Just saw in the paper here a few days ago that a 1000 lb Great White (forget her name) was off Cape Canaveral. She makes regular trip down this way from up your way. She's on the same type of tracker list you posted.


That red line, is a 3500lb Great White. Scary to know I've assuredly been *very* close to this girl without knowing it over the years


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Just picture this balding, grey haired old man doing this.

Bet I could with a Great white on my ass. Prolly look pretty much the same running style also. 
I'll also bet that thing can't match my imitation of a little girl's blood curling scream either. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45yabrnryXk


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

Hunter, it's amazing no one has hooked that beast while offshore fishing. Well, maybe they have and never got a glimpse of her after the reel was spooled.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Howard Knauf said:


> Hunter, it's amazing no one has hooked that beast while offshore fishing. Well, maybe they have and never got a glimpse of her after the reel was spooled.


Yeah you don't land a nearly 2 ton shark without showing up with some custom purpose built equipment lol.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Hunter 
did you provide that pic at the beach or did that get added by our Pet Guide owner ??

or maybe i missed it in this thread ??


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## Catherine Gervin (Mar 12, 2012)

it's alright to laugh at the tree hugger for saying this, but it'd be a crime to catch that fish and kill her for some dentist's trophy photo after she's survived long enough to get that big and assemble her repertoire of food stops and finally reach a decent breeding size. they say sharks have made a big comeback, Great Whites especially, but the edge of oblivion is a pretty bad place from whence to comeback.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

rick smith said:


> Hunter
> did you provide that pic at the beach or did that get added by our Pet Guide owner ??
> 
> or maybe i missed it in this thread ??


Which pic?


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Catherine Gervin said:


> it's alright to laugh at the tree hugger for saying this, but it'd be a crime to catch that fish and kill her for some dentist's trophy photo after she's survived long enough to get that big and assemble her repertoire of food stops and finally reach a decent breeding size. they say sharks have made a big comeback, Great Whites especially, but the edge of oblivion is a pretty bad place from whence to comeback.


Oh I'd catch and release if I did catch one. Large sharks don't taste good, I don't really want something that violent in my boat, and I am a conservationist if anything... that being said I would love to get up close and personal with one, while I'm comfortably still in my element (the air... in my boat).

While we have adversely effected the populations of pretty much everything except for roaches, buzzards, and raccoons, I don't think sharks have gotten as badly beat up as we initially thought. I mean, up until ~2 years ago, we didn't think great whites ventured anywhere near the south eastern coast... turns out through the efforts of these shark tagging folks, that there is a sizable and permanent set of residents. Apex predators cannot exist in large numbers. By definition they are rare. Same thing with billfish.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> Just picture this balding, grey haired old man doing this.
> 
> Bet I could with a Great white on my ass. Prolly look pretty much the same running style also.
> I'll also bet that thing can't match my imitation of a little girl's blood curling scream either.
> ...


hahaha!!


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Hunter
your thread was selected by the wonderful pet folks who ( i think ) own this forum as a "featured WDF thread"

a "title" photo was posted next to your thread ... not a close up, but looked like a guy splashing around or playing in the water at a beach

at least that's how it showed up in my email that i never specifically signed up to receive. i assumed it was "mass mailed" to all WDF members


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

rick smith said:


> Hunter
> your thread was selected by the wonderful pet folks who ( i think ) own this forum as a "featured WDF thread"
> 
> a "title" photo was posted next to your thread ... not a close up, but looked like a guy splashing around or playing in the water at a beach
> ...


lol could you forward me said email? I don't think I get those. PM you my email


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

This was ~3 years ago, but worth sharing... also a few miles off Charleston

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsYhvunq1jo


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Amazing to get to see that!


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Mods
please clue Hunter in on how our petguide owners make up their newsletter and attach a title pic to the feature threads pulled from WDF threads. when those emails come i usually get nauseous and delete them after scanning the layout and i sure didn't keep the last one

maybe one of you might know where the pics come from and how they are selected/posted, etc ?

sounds like some members catch them in their spam sieves. i'm not that lucky


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

rick smith said:


> Mods
> please clue Hunter in on how our petguide owners make up their newsletter and attach a title pic to the feature threads pulled from WDF threads. when those emails come i usually get nauseous and delete them after scanning the layout and i sure didn't keep the last one
> 
> maybe one of you might know where the pics come from and how they are selected/posted, etc ?
> ...


Sorry, I don't know where the title pics come from.



ETA
I can tell you, though, that if folks here PM any mod with any recommendations for newsletter posts (link us to the post you like), then the likelihood of preferred posts being included will increase.

When the newsletter first started, we were kind of alert about recommending threads (combing through threads and sending links to interesting posts to the newsletter folks) .... I admit that I, for one, dropped that (mainly from laziness) quite a while ago.


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