Florida divers find 20-foot whale shark
Florida divers find 20-foot whale shark
NOVEMBER 19 - Two Florida divers on a spear fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico ran into the biggest fish either had ever seen — a 20-foot whale shark.
Chris Zolman and Brett Peters of Fort Myers got to swim with a rare whale shark swimming off the coast of Captiva Island last week. And were able to get shots of themselves with the huge shark.
Whale sharks are usually solitary animals, but they congregate at feeding areas such as the northern Gulf of Mexico, Holbox, Mexico, Belize, Utila in the Bay Islands of Honduras, and the northwest coast of Cuba, said Bob Hueter, director of Mote Marine Laboratory's Center for Shark Research.
"Whale shark sightings are sporadic, but they do happen this time of year," Hueter said. "We're trying to piece together what their pattern is in the Gulf. With better sighting data, we're trying to determine seasonality. And people need to keep an eye out for any tags on the animal."
In the early 1990s, a whale shark was spotted less than a mile from the beach off Longboat Key near Sarasota, but the fish usually stay well off shore.
The divers admitted their close encounter was a little intimidating, but say they quickly got over their fears.
"We were trying to circle him as he was trying to circle us and he was just as curious of us," said Peters.
