Last fall I decided to take a little photo expedition to Florida's Sebastian Inlet which is located on the east coast about 40 miles south of where they launch the space shuttle. It's a place full of energy and action with lots to photograph in every direction. Here are just a few of the pics I captured in one afternoon at the inlet.
The inlet is know for it's great surf and is one of the best breaks in Florida. Surfers catch waves while fisherman try their luck on the jetty behind them.
During the fall the baitfish are everywhere which in turn attracts the bigger gamefish highly sought after by the fisherman. The fish are so abundant fishing is great from both the jetty and the beach. This guy nabbed a keeper Snook right in front of me in the shorebreak.
While the fisherman and surfers control the jetty, some guys on their personal watercraft were having their own fun jumping the waves down the beach.
Not to be outdone, a Dolphin took to the air and put on a show of his own.
All the baitfish attracts the bigger fish and all that action attracts something everyone in the water knows but doesn't want to think about and that is swimming all around underneath them are the sharks. Mostly black tip spinners. Not maneaters but big enough to ruin your day. They swim around looking for fish and grab a hand or foot by mistake letting go quickly but the damage is done. A fisherman hooked one and dragged it up the beach.
The shark was hooked off the jetty and pulled through the pack of surfers sending those with half a brain or half a bikini scrambling to the beach.
The fisherman had his hands full with the shark and finally subdued it with a bite to the shark's nose.
If you only bring one hook to the beach you'll need to get your hook back so you can keep fishing. I think in this case I would just call it a day.
The shark was cut up as the fisherman had many uses for the different parts and inside were found a bunch of babies that were still alive. They were thrown back into the water to fill the void their mother left behind. The cycle of life continues.
