Bonnethead Sharks

After skunk Apes we headed straight up to Fort Myers Beach to hang out and be there for the Sunset Celebration. 

Little did we know what we were going to see at the beach that day! Marilyn and I were sitting there relaxing in our beach chairs when I saw a small shark fin in the water right in front of us!  I yelled "Shark, shark, shark!" probably louder than I should have and ran over to it!  Sure enough there was this little Bonnethead Shark swimming around.  Bonnetheads are a kind of Hammerhead.  This shark was pretty much almost dead.   We snapped a few quick pictures and put him back in the water.  We tried to keep him going but he would swim in circles, or not swim at all.  After talking to some people we learned that a couple other Bonnetheads had washed up on shore because of the Red Tide.  The Algea blooms and it kills the fish.   These are the same sharks that we had seen a bunch of people fishing for off the pier.  People love to fish for these sharks, cause they put up such a fight- we caught one with our bare hands! (Does it count if it's almost dead?)

David holding it.

David, Ellie and Peter

Me, Ellie and Gabe

Peter and Katherine

Paul.  Paul kept putting him in the water and trying to get him to swim out to the ocean, but it was didn't help.

Grace

There were a bunch of dead fish that were washed up on shore from the red tide. 

Kyle

Michael

Parker

Darren

So then we heard about another big Bonnethead dying further up the beach.  People were standing on the beach watching it but no one was in the water.  It was hard to see what was going on.  It was on a sand bar- and you could just see it's fins rolling around.  I wasn't going to just stand there and watch, that's so boring! So Paul and I walked out into the water to it.  There Paul and I were walking out to a shark with 20 people standing there watching, recording us on their phones.  I bet it's on youtube somewhere.  It wasn't scary- the water didn't even go past our knees!  I think people still thought we were crazy.  When I got to it-  it was floating belly up.  Yea, it was pretty much dead.  Part of it's side had been eaten too.  Paul held it up and Michael and Parker came out and got it. 

Everyone on shore waved us to bring it in. 

Check out it's mouth!  It must have gotten hooked and part of it's jaw was ripped out.  I'm sure he was already weak before, and the Red Tide was just too much.

Michael, Parker, and Paul, showing off the shark.

Another view of the jaw.

I'm 5 feet tall, so that thing is a 5 footer.  It was heavy!  

There were some beach patrol guys there so I went over and talked to them.  I asked them if we could keep the shark.  They said sure, and it would be best to kill it and the other one-to put them out of their misery.  They said they had been keeping an eye on this one getting closer to shore the last couple of days.  They said it would be best for someone to take him, otherwise they have to dig a big hole and bury it- which is a pain to them.
When I turned around and went back to the shark, some guy was there with a big knife getting ready to cut off the head.  I was like, "hey, what do you think your doing? um, I'm the one who went out and got it".  He said he wanted to get the head stuffed.  I said, "well I kinda want it."  He talked me out of it- "Oh it's messy, and a pain, and expensive, and they aren't very good eating." It worked.   I kind of wanted it's teeth, but didn't want to cut it's head off, plus, it's jaw was messed up.   So I told him he could have it.  He cut off the dorsal fin and gave it to Paul.  Paul was thrilled.
It was crazy. 

The sunset after a very exciting day.  The ocean never ceases to amaze me.   After sunset we headed to the street for pizza, entertainment, and live music.

Street Performer- Scary Pirate!

Marilyn had this guy paint our last name and gave it to us as a gift. - I LOVE IT!!! He was amazing!  Thank you David and Marilyn!

Isn't that amazing?!!! I can't wait to get it framed and put up in our cool house someday!! It's hard to see in the picture, but the E is a frog, R is a flamingo, N is 2 birds, S is a dolphin, T is a octopus, S is a swordfish.

The clock

Dancing to our favorite band- HighTide

Gabe was sooo cute! He loved dancing, and everyone loved watching him dance.

Darren and Michael

Go Kyle!

Darren rippen up the dance floor

Hightide

Gabe- cheese!

We were dancing it up so much their lead guy came out and danced with us!

What an eventful amazing day.  We drove home exhausted.  Seeing those sharks was amazing.  It was a little sad to see them dying.  But it's the circle of life, and I felt lucky to catch a glimpse of it.  Crazy as it was.