Christa,<BR> not to freak you, but I saw several sharks near Norman Island (Bvi) and one at St. John. They were all nurse sharks and are pretty common near the shallow reefs in the Carib. They would rather eat crab than you. The larger sharks generally don't feed at the shallow reefs....but they do occasionally get lost.
As mentioned above, nurse sharks are sometimes seen. I don't think there are any records of ANY shark attacks in the VIs. From what I've gathered (and I could be mistaken) the larger sharks appear more in the cooler and deeper waters (like the FLA coast) than in the warmer waters of the VIs.<BR>I've done plenty of snorkeling from the beaches of St John and have never seen a shark. A barracuda yes but a shark no. Just don't wear any shiney objects that look like fishing lures and you will hold no attraction to the barracuda. They are looking for much smaller fish to eat than you anyway. I look forward to seeing barracuda in fact. Just watch out for those black sea urchins. Stepping on one of them could ruin your trip. They're easy to spot and only live in rocky areas so the sandy beaches are all "urchin free" zones.
Ha! How true Schultz!<BR>Really, Christa. We are divers who actually PAY to swim with sharks, and there are very, very few sharks of a dangerous nature to be found in the Caribbean.<BR>Most species considered dangerous are open-ocean sharks like the oceanic white-tip. <BR>Almost all sharks are kind of like bees in that if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. <BR>If you are really paranoid, avoid wading/swimming at night when some types come inshore to feed.
I hate to burst your bubble, but there are sharks EVERYWHERE! You might not see them when you go in the water, but law of averages there will be one somewhere. There are no restricted signs in the ocean telling sharks that they have to go elsewhere.<BR><BR>Figure if you stand on the beach and look out at the water, somewhere within your view will be a shark.
And they have all of these sharp teeth! And they are just WAITING for me to go in there so they can rip off my arms and legs! AIEEEEE!<BR>And they're probably all Great Whites that are hungry and are 23 feet long.<BR>I'll never go into the ocean again!<BR>(Never mind that I have more of a chance of getting hit by a freight train in the middle of an Iowa cornfield...)
Tam, Chill out. A little humor is called for here. Apparently you did not read my ealier post - which I feel WAS informational. <BR>My point is that shark attacks are extremely rare - especially in the Caribbean - and should not keep anyone from visiting the Islands.<BR>By the way, what was your contribution again?
Hi Deb!<BR>We stayed at Long Bay. The food was really great. The rooms were nice - not super deluxe - but very nice. Big bathrooms with lots of tile. Get the oceanfront. Nice beach, but awesome beach is a short drive or long walk at Smuggler's Cove.<BR>I had dinner at Sugar Mill - also a very good restaurant and hotel is supposed to be very charming.<BR>I've also heard really good things about villa rentals on Tortola.<BR>Have fun!
I loved Long Bay too- but I liked the hillside jacuzzi suites nestled in the foliage and closer to the pool and bar. About those barracuda....we snorkeled on the Patouche (I highly recommend them!) and Joe the expert said that was only a rumor about the barracuda and the shiny stuff. Bari ,the huge barracuda near the Caves ,hangs out with snorkelers cause they sometimes feed him
Hello all. I'm new to the site and was wondering what would be the best island to settle on? I'm going to be renting for a few weeks near the end of the year. Looking to retire to the Caribbean within the next 3 or 4 years and want to get a head start on where the best place to buy would be. I'm up for any suggestions from people in the know. Thanks.
