Shark Trip February 19th, 2010

Shark Trip, February 19^th, 2010

Today was special for the interns, as we got to head out on the water alone. Having the students is always a pleasure, but going out on the water without them allows the interns to be more hands on in the tagging process. It was a cold, cloudy, and windy day in Islamorada. Although our clothes were damp, our spirits were anything but. The day began slowly in terms of sharking. The fish traps on the other hand caught some fascinating creatures, including a remora, a black grouper, and a golden eel.

A beautiful eel that got caught in our fish trap!

Finally, towards the end of the final set, a shark was on the line. A four-foot female Blacknose glided toward Captain Curt’s boat, revealing a beautiful and mature streamlined body. We brought the shark aboard instead of using the specialized shark sling. She was small enough to be measured, tagged, and biopsied on deck. We worked her up quickly and returned her to the water safely. The blacknose shark was our first and last shark of the day. Even though the overall catch was small, it was still great to be out on the waters off of Islamorada, eagerly waiting to see what might be on the other end of the line.

Getting ready to tag our first shark of the day!

By: Cameron Rhodes (Shark Program Intern)