Tigers

Twice per month, we set 5 longlines around the island. Each line is a quarter mile long, with 15 hooks per line. We put baracuda steaks on the hooks as bait, and check them every 4 hours over a 24-hour period. Typically we catch nurse sharks, blacktips, lemons, and tigers. Until yesterday, I wasn't lucky enough to be on any of the line checks when they pulled up a tiger.

Yesterday afternoon, however, we pulled up a 115cm tiger shark. It was a juvenile, so its markings were very clear. We did a workup on it, but before we released it, it was picture time! While on the boat, I held its dorsal while we did the workup, and then I took its length measurements. Before we let it go, I hopped in the water with my snorkel gear and took several underwater photos of it. It was, in a word, awesome.

About 10 minutes earlier, we followed a 5-ft tiger shark that was circling one of the baited hooks. It hadn't taken the bait, so we followed it and tried to catch it by hand. Grant, the lab manager, stood on the bow with a noose and was going to lasso it by the tail when it came to the surface. Unfortunately, it made a sharp cutback and we lost it in our own wake.

Later that day, when we were bringing the lines in, there was a 213cm tiger on the line. After we did the workup, we released him so that he was held only by his tail rope. At that point, we all jumped in with our masks and snorkels and got some amazing pictures. Unreal.

So 3 tigers in one day. I think that officially made my year!

I've been trying to post a picture of me holding the juvenile tiger shark, but it doesn't want to load on this computer. You'll just have to take my word for it that it was very cool.

Here's a pic of me leaning over the side of the boat putting a noose around the pectoral fin of a 6ft nurse shark we reeled in. We put a noose around its tail and pectoral fins and then cleat it off to the boat. Then we do a workup on it - measure it, check the sex, tag it, then release it. Incidentally, to check the sex, I basically gave it a reach around while it was tied up to the side of the boat. (It was a female.)

Updates: I've been bitten by a pelican 3 more times. Twice today. She drew blood. We had a day off today, so I went spearfishing and speared a barjack. I help the neighbor's kids with their homework most nights. I've seen eagle rays, southern rays, baracuda, triggerfish, reef sharks, sharpnose shards, mackerel, eels, yellow stingrays, turtles, nurse sharks, and lemon sharks. I pretty much see something ridiculously awesome every single day, and I love it. Even on the day I sat on a tracking boat in the wind and rain listening for static through the hydrophone for 8 hours straight, I had a stupid grin on my face because I was so happy to be out on the water.

Next time I write, I'll have to write some crazy story like riding a 15ft tiger shark like a horse (as a fisherman in town last weekend tried to convince me he did).