Fox 4 news segment on the Hammerhead Shark and Joe Kistel encounter offshore Fort Myers.
Below from Fox 4:
"FORT MYERS BEACH -
Just twenty five miles off the beaches of South Fort Myers the T.I.S.I.R.I. artificial reef creation team decided some recreational fishing would be a nice break during a day of diving and while the crew fished their director Joe Kistel headed underwater.
"I decided to stay in the water and film fish being reeled in by the others on the boat," said Joe Kistel.
It's when someone snagged a three and a half foot long shark Kistel suspected he might have company.
"Every now and then I would turn around just to see if there was anything behind me, and sure enough, twenty five minutes in, I turn around and there is this eight to nine foot Hammer Head right behind me," said Joe Kistel.
He was rolling during the whole encounter you can see the Hammer Head come just feet from Kistel.
"He was trying to attack the other shark on the line. So he was really more interested in that shark than myself," said Joe Kristel.
I saw the shark pretty much came right up to you, touched your fin. What goes through your mind when a shark comes that close to you?
"Surprised I guess. It wasn't really a fear thing at that point. I actually turned around with the camera and went kind of towards him originally," said Joe Kistel.
When the crew on the boat reeled in their catch Kistel when in for a closer look.
"Once that shark was out of the water that is when he seemed more curious than me. That is when he came up to the boat, right next to my fin there and I kind of flicked him off," said Joe Kistel.
Since an experienced diver came this close to a shark of this size you may be wondering whether you are safe swimming in the waters off Fort Myers Beach.
Are beach goers in any kind of danger. Will they come up to the beach?
"There is probably more sharks that hang around the beach than there are twenty five miles off the beach that is usually how that works. Hammer Heads though, if you doing any search, they are not really known for attacking people," said Joe Kistel.
ROY RAMOS
FOX FOUR IN YOUR CORNER"
