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Video - whale sharks at Grayton Beach, Florida

Kurt avatar
Admin
34,453 views
Five Whale Sharks appeared just offshore from Grayton Beach, Florida in the first week of August in 2009. They remained in the local waters for two days. Many of the people chartering Grayton Beach fishing boats and one group of divers photographed and swam with the whales during the two-day event. A Whale Shark is not a whale (mammal) but is a gentle, non-dangerous, filter-feeding shark that is the largest living fish species.

James Griffith, a local firefighter/diver in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida captured the beautiful underwater video. The large school of bigger fish swimming with the whale shark are cobia.

Thanks to Edmond Alexander and James Griffith.




Whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico. Located right off Watercolor Resort. Kidz Beach kids and instructor Ryan DeVore having a blast!




Whale shark video at Seagrove Beach by Austin Buzzett

Edited

Replies

63
Bluznbeach avatar
Beach Lover
#52
Apparently this is part of a pattern, which the scientists haven't figured out. This article mentions the Grayton visitors toward the end.

Whale shark sightings baffle scientists*| ajc.com

:idontno:

P.S: Kurt and everybody else who contributed to the video, thanks again!!!!!:clap:
Gidget avatar
Beach Fanatic
#53
Amazing - thank you for sharing that!

G
scooterbug44 avatar
SoWal Expert
#54
Very cool! :clap:
Kurt avatar
AdminAuthor
#56
Hopefully our whale sharks moved out of the spill area.

Whale Sharks Killed, Displaced Due to Gulf Oil?

"This summer unusually high numbers and species of sharks were here on the West Florida Shelf, and that includes whale sharks in much larger numbers than we are accustomed to seeing," Hueter said.
Those animals may have headed east to escape the oil, though no one can say for sure.
The team tagged several fish to track their future movements in oiled waters and see whether the disaster causes lifestyle changes in the whales.
Lynnie avatar
SoWal Insider
#57
I really hope and believe they migrated.
walk the walk avatar
Beach Fanatic
#58
I really hope and believe they migrated.
Whale sharks!?!? Look at all of those cobia!!!:yikes: I would have been slinging jigs like Clint Eastwood shooting the bad guys in the "Unforgivin."

I know James,a great guy,we used to work together for several years.Nice footage though,saw it on fishing forums a while back.
Kurt avatar
AdminAuthor
#59
I hope they come back some day.
Franny avatar
Beach Fanatic
#60
I hope they come back some day.

Someone mentioned to me that a basking shark, as seen in PCB recently, and a whale shark are one in the same.:idontno:
Kurt avatar
AdminAuthor
#61
Someone mentioned to me that a basking shark, as seen in PCB recently, and a whale shark are one in the same.:idontno:

Both are very large harmless filter feeders but not the same. Whale sharks are the largest known shark and Basking shark is second largest. Largest seen was about 40 feet.

Imagine a meat eater even bigger, the prehistoric Megalodon.

Beach Comber
#62
Someone mentioned to me that a basking shark, as seen in PCB recently, and a whale shark are one in the same.:idontno:

As an interesting tidbit, the basking shark got its name because it is most often observed when feeding at the surface and appears to be basking in the warmer water there.

I would love to see a basking or whale shark in our waters, and so would my son!
bob bob avatar
Beach Fanatic
#63
Five Whale Sharks appeared just offshore from Grayton Beach, Florida in the first week of August in 2009. They remained in the local waters for two days. Many of the people chartering Grayton Beach fishing boats and one group of divers photographed and swam with the whales during the two-day event. A Whale Shark is not a whale (mammal) but is a gentle, non-dangerous, filter-feeding shark that is the largest living fish species.

James Griffith, a local firefighter/diver in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida captured the beautiful underwater video. The large school of bigger fish swimming with the whale shark are cobia.

Thanks to Edmond Alexander and James Griffith.




Whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico. Located right off Watercolor Resort. Kidz Beach kids and instructor Ryan DeVore having a blast!




Whale shark video at Seagrove Beach by Austin Buzzett

Some whale sharks reported in the area recently - would love to see one!

bob bob avatar
Beach Fanatic
#64
6 NEW whale sharks were tagged on Saturday morning off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach:
  • Johnny - 25ft male
  • Tucker - 20ft male
  • Dotty - 25ft female
  • Chaos - 25ft male
  • Lorelai - 35ft female
  • Dean - 25ft male
​
Dotty - 25ft Female (Alex Fogg)
Today and tomorrow, the Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team will be out looking for a few more Whale Sharks to tag. All activities are permitted by the State of Florida and Federal Government.

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