Sharks in warmer waters?

I live on my boat and spend winters in the Caribbean. Yes, sharks are most everywhere. However, I am not so sure they are more there than anywhere else - it's just that the waters are so clear you can see them under the water and at a fair distance.

I fish a lot, so I've caught sharks (accidentally, I don't fish for them) everywhere from Florida to Boston, in the Hudson, in the St Lawrence, etc. So while you may be right, about them preferring warmer water, you couldn't prove it by me, as I know for sure they are everywhere I go there is tidal waters.

I have never had a 'narrow escape' as you say, I often dive for lobsters in the Caribbean, and had them swim right by me, and I've certainly seen thousands of them over the years. At times in the Caribbean, when anchored out, two or more will often seek shade or refuge under my boat.

For all I know however, they could be doing that in New York, New Jersey and Delaware - only difference is, you can't see them under your boat in those waters, even if they are there. I have for sure caught them there with rod & reel.

I don't jump in the water when they are around my boat, or beach, but I don't panic when they swim by while I'm in the water either. You just make sure you're not bleeding, and if you spear a fish, you make sure you get it and yourself in the boat real quick. My son has had sharks take fish off his spear.

I've sailed the Med too - and for sure they are there too. I think they are just about everywhere there is salt and tidal waters.

I worked on a fishing boat between Microneasia and New Guinea. Before we would return to port, most of the crew would jump in and scrub the waterline. We took some pride in how the boat looked. The captain would stand watch in the crowsnest and order everybody aboard if he saw even a shadow in the clear water. That is a strange sensation to swim in water so clear that you can see a hundred feet down. Even stranger knowing the depth is a thousand phatoms.

So, one night we had a fire in the engine room. That meant emergency shutdown for the motors and generators. Pitch dark on deck except for flashlights. Usually the halogen lights shine on the boat and the water around it. After putting the fire out and making repairs, the halogens came back on an hour later. The boat was dead in the water surrounded by sharks. That was the only time I ever saw sharks around the boat, even though we drifted a lot.

They are out there, everywhere, but they prefer to wait until the advantage is theirs.

Sharks can be found in most areas and are not necessarily confined to warmer water. Many are seen in British and other European coastel waters, in particular "Basking Sharks". Another very prolific British shark is the dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula). Dogfish can grow to up to 3 metres in length, but do not pose any hazard to swimmers or small boat sailors.

Another common species in UK and European waters is the Bull Huss, (Scyliorhinus stellaris), which can reach 3.3 metres.

Both varieties are sold in fish and chip shops in the UK, fried in batter. In the case of Dogfish, it is marketed as "Rock Salmon". This name was introduced by the government during World War Two to encourage an unwilling British public to take up what had always been seen as an undesirable food source.

With many thousands of miles spent on passage on freighters, I never once sighted a shark when under way. We were invariably accompanied by an escort of dolphins. Sharks will always avoid them as dolphins tend to attack them if they swim too close. They attack by damaging the sharks' gills, which usually proves to be fatal. Anchored vessels hold no interest to dolphins, but if they are fishing vessels there are usually remnants of dead undersized fish, fish waste, entrails, etc. on or around the hull and in the absence of dolphins, this will attract sharks to the vicinity. This will be manifest in any sea areas where fishing takes place.