One long swimmer

What were you doing in 1996? Eleven years is a long time, especially if you are a shark. But a small sharpnose, caught that year by Mote Marine Laboratory scientists of Pensacola was recaptured last spring by a charter boat captain off Ship Island, Miss., about 103 miles from where it was originally tagged.

The Sarasota-based research facility has tagged more than 16,000 sharks over the past 17 years, but this little sharpnose, a species that is often prey for larger sharks, set a record. The shark was at large for 3,925 days, which just goes to prove that tagging can produce valuable information for researchers studying the movements of these open-ocean predators.

Every year, Mote holds a contest for anglers who have returned tags from sharks they have caught. Last year, 25 tag returns were eligible for three $100 prizes.

The winners are: James Cooper of Tarpon Springs who caught a bull shark off the Bahia Honda Bridge that had been tagged 828 days earlier; Andy Miller of Fort McCoy who caught a sharpnose near Crystal River that had been tagged 1,914 days earlier; and Kathy Dyke of Wisconsin who caught a bull shark near Naples that had been tagged 277 days before.

Anglers who catch a tagged shark can call 1-800-691-MOTE. For more information, go to the center's Website.