Sharks! Fishermen Land Two on Sullivan’s Island

 

We encountered rain and ominous dark clouds on the way to the beach on Sullivan’s Island Sunday. 

I thought we may have to turn around and return home. Sure glad we didn’t because not only did the clouds clear, but before we even set up our chairs in the sand we noticed a fisherman was having quite a battle reeling in whatever was on the end of his line. 

And what a catch he had! 

This guy seemed to be the leading the two fishers (fishermen). Maybe he runs an outdoor adventure outfit. 

He told me this shark is a Blacktip. Notice the black coloring below and around the dorsal fin and the black along the tail fin. 

Research shows the Blacktip Shark, as an adult, can be six and a half feet in length and weigh 150 pounds. 

I don’t think this one was a full-grown adult. 

This is the other shark, called Finetooth. Both of these types are sharks I had not heard of before. 

The bait used to catch these predatory fish? Mullet, I was told by the guy with the hat. 

We wondered how the sharks would be handled once they were reeled to the beach. Well, you definitely need to keep your distance- “finetooth” (pictured here) or otherwise. 

The one guy used a gaff to remove the hook from the shark’s mouth. The other two men each caught a shark. Maybe they caught others before we arrived, other types of fish too perhaps. 

Here he is handling the Blacktip. Tap the photo to see the teeth on this creature! 

The guy who caught the Finetooth Shark has a nice remembrance of this encounter. 

Soon after this photo was taken, the fishing pole in the background took a sharp bend forward. 

We were glad to see the sharks were safely released by an experienced guide. 

How are they released? As you see, very carefully! 

Because of the rain threat, I left my “big camera” in the car. I took these photos with my iPhone 12. 

Quite a thing to see at the beach! 

Sharks! You know they are always out there in the water among us swimmers.