Jump onboard and join the Shark Club!

Here at South Broward, we have a very special club for individuals who are interested in the predator of the sea, the shark. In this club we work with the University of Miami for a hands-on experience in capturing, tagging and researching the sharks that they catch. This shark team provides students with experiences with sharks that they couldn't have anywhere else! Just see what some of the members have to say...

South Broward offers many different clubs and activities to work with. The best so far is the Shark Club. The Shark Club is a great club that does research in the natural world, with the top predator of the ocean -the shark. There is a diverse population of students, who share the same interest, passion and ambition with each other, making them a wonderful group to converse and interact with. We have regular discussions and trips down to the Keys where we work with these apex predators on a boat miles off of the shoreline. Catching, recording, taping and releasing the sharks into the sea is a lot of work, but in the end it pays off because you know you are helping a group of dedicated researchers with a mindset to change the ecosystem for the better; and the best part is you’re living every second of it. The people who tie all of this fun and excitement together for us are South Broward’s own Mrs. Hixon and Mr. Davis. They give really good advice and awesome moral support when it comes to topics and events such as this. I definitely think I belong to this club because it is precisely what I came to South Broward to do; and that is to get closer to the field of Marine Biology and the wonderful creatures of the sea; and South Broward offers just that!

-Vilma Soohnanan

The recent shark trip that I went on was an amazing experience. The ride down and the night that we spent that we spent there was really fun. We spoke about the tagging, measuring, and muscle biopsy procedure we would be doing. On the boat, we set out all the drum lines and went back around to check them, which had me really anxious. As soon as I saw the first 12 foot hammerhead shark, I was extremely excited! This creature was massive and the sharks that we caught afterwards could not even compare. There was a four foot black nose, six foot lemon, seven foot nurse, and another six foot hammerhead. The whole experience was overwhelming, exciting, fun, and we also learned. Altogether, it was great.

-Chelsea Currie

On the shark trip you experience so much. It wasn’t just a field trip, I got to hang out with people I didn’t know and begin new friendships. I also experienced teamwork, not only among my peers, but also among the crew members and the SFSSP members. When one person messed up or missed something, instead of criticizing, they just picked them up and continued with their jobs. The amount of knowledge and the experience itself that I received from this trip is unforgettable.

-Tyler Deighton

Check out the official Shark Team site at www.floridasharktales.com!