Great Whites Winter in Florida

When diving in the Florida Keys, I never thought I'd run into a great white shark. Now I have something to think about when I stare out into the blue. Last week a fisherman pulled in a 17-footer on Pickles Reef off Key Largo. The whites, which usually prefer cooler water, wander into the Keys between December and March, and one or two are caught by anglers each year.

According to the International Shark Attack File at Florida's Museum of Natural History, there has never been a confirmed great white attack on a human in Florida waters. Worldwide, 159 attacks on humans by whites have been recorded from 1876 to 1994.

A Miami collector bought the tooth set from this latest catch but wouldn't disclose the price. The jaws of a great white can sell for thousands of dollars. This may become illegal soon; the National Marine Fisheries Service is considering making whites, mackerel, basking, whale, and sand tiger sharks protected species.

J. Q.