Capt. Tiffany Vague shows off a beautiful leopard shark. (Courtesy photo)
If there were a beauty contest for sharks, I would cast my vote — for the most beautiful shark in the sea — to the leopard shark. No hesitation.
This critter has eye-appealing shapes on its back and sides, which, besides looking pretty, do a credible job of camouflage allowing the shark to blend into a sandy bottom as sunlight ripples in mottled patterns across the seafloor.
They have that classic shark shape and truly gorgeous eyes.
Life in the food chain (in spite of what misleading movies like Nemo and Bambi teach our children) is about deadly ambush and the advantage goes to those predators — like leopard shark — which can hide in plain sight.
Their bioengineering is awe-inspiring and makes me coin the phrase, “deadly grace and mesmerizing beauty.”
I have a profound respect for these critters. Leopard sharks, moving gracefully across the seafloor in search of forage and a good ambush spot are a study in poetry in motion. They are stealth. They are silent. They are sinuous. They are beautiful. They are deadly.
While not a big-toothed shark, I strongly recommend keeping hands, arms, etc., well away from the business end of a leopard. Their teeth are like a band saw, and once they bite down, they twist and thrash their heads instinctively to bite through whatever is in their mouth.
They primarily eat small fish, squid and other fairly soft-bodied forage.
We have been enjoying many sightings and catches of leopard sharks in our local waters over the past few months. Some of the common spots have been Goleta Beach, Santa Claus Lane, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands.
I knew a gentleman who worked for years on Santa Rosa Island, and each springtime he would wade out into a hidden waist-deep lagoon that filled with leopard sharks in their spawning season. They swam all around him and he just stood there entranced and filled with awe.
Most we’ve seen or caught have been between 30 inches and 48 inches. To be a legal catch, a leopard shark must be over 36 inches. Yes, they are very tasty sharks and highly prized catches. Many are caught by fisherfolk drift-fishing with live baits over sand bottom while they primarily pursue halibut.
Even when targeting halibut, few anglers are disappointed when a keeper leopard comes aboard. They may not be disappointed, but they should be careful, because a 4-foot leopard shark is surprisingly powerful. I’ve seen them damage gear and hurt people.
Handle with caution.