When Life Gives You Lemons—Go Diving!
Did you see any sharks? It’s one of the most common questions on a boat. Fortunately, if you dive with Jupiter Dive Center, the answer is often a resounding Yes! Sharks are fascinating creatures and sighting one (or more) is often the highlight of any dive. So, grab your gear and get ready—because lemon sharks are headed to Jupiter!
Sharks have a mystique about them that is compelling. Sharing their environment is an honor. Underwater researchers and photographers come from all over the world to see Florida’s unique concentration of lemon sharks. Why lemon sharks choose this area isn’t fully understood.
It isn’t due to baiting, but typically in January the lemons arrive in groups and congregate in one or two main areas and we know where they are! But hurry, lemons tend to leave again by the middle of March, and the popularity of diving with lemon sharks means our boats sell out quickly.
🍋🦈 Lemon Shark Fun Facts 🍋🦈
- By age 12, a mature lemon shark typically measures 10.5 feet
- Their average age is 27+ years
- They give birth to live young and their litters range in size from 4-17 pups
- Each pup is about 2 feet long
- Lemons feed on bony fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, rays, small sharks, and the occasional sea bird
- Like all sharks, lemons frequently lose teeth. There is no prohibition against collecting shark teeth, and sharp-eyed divers can find these souvenirs along the reefs and in the surrounding sand
- Lemon sharks can live in both salt and fresh water (but they tend not to venture too far upstream in freshwater environments)
Not everyone wants to see a shark. We get that. If encountering a large marine animal makes you nervous, consider taking a Shark Specialty course.
This one-day course starts in the classroom, where a dive instructor discusses the myths (of which there are many) and realities (which have nothing to do with a certain blockbuster movie that made us all afraid to get into the water) regarding sharks. Learn how to identify the different species that frequent our waters and how to evaluate their behavior.
After the classroom portion, you’ll be able to complete two guided dives with your instructor and finish the day with a brand-new certification!
Traveling to Jupiter, Florida is easy. If you’re flying, Palm Beach International Airport is about 40 minutes from the shop and we’re minutes off Interstate-95. An abundance of lodging, restaurants and other tourist activities will ensure that even the non-divers in the family have something enjoyable to do (but honestly, it won’t be as awesome as diving with lemon sharks…).