Sawfish and hammerheads – we’ve got shark sightings and here’s what you need to know!

It was a rare occurrence, and for Florida Atlantic University’s resident shark expert Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D. – it happened twice.  Kajiura has photographed millions of sharks – but this sighting was no regular day on the water.

“The first sawfish was near Boca Raton and was seen swimming southbound in shallow water. He estimated it to be about 9 feet long. The second one was near MacArthur State Park on Singer Island and a little larger. Sawfish can grow as large as 17 feet in length.

Kajiura's sawfish encounters are the latest in a regular string of encounters reported by anglers, divers and researchers. In recent years, sawfish have been caught and released by Florida anglers fishing from beaches for sharks, or in inlets for tarpon. Sawfish have become regular catches for anglers fishing the waters of the Indian River Lagoon, Everglades National Park or the waters of Charlotte Harbor. “ - TC Palm – USA Network

That was last month, however, just recently, a large hammerhead shark was coming dangerously close to shore, raising some cause for concern about swimmer safety.

Lifeguards closed the Nokomis Public Beach for close to an hour until the enormous fish had departed for deeper waters.  The encounter left some scared and some curious – looking to catch a glimpse or picture of the gigantic shark.

• So, what do you do when a shark comes close to shore?
• How dangerous is it?
• How can experts or event he public tell when a shark is aggressive or just passing by?
• Sharks do call the ocean home – what do we all need to do to exist in harmony?

Are you covering? Do you need to know more about sharks, the dangers they pose and what we really need to be concerned about and even break down some of the myths and legends about just how concerned humans need to be about these predators? Let our experts help.

Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D., is a professor and researcher at Florida Atlantic University. He’s also an expert in sharks and shark behavior. Stephen is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.