BluWave Boat Rental’s first boat in the fleet was our 18’ center console offshore Mako 184CC with a 115 HP Mercury. This boat is a favorite, runs like a “sports car” and handles very nicely. It has a capacity of only 5 and is set up for fishing with a live well, 2 fish lockers that hold ice really well, pole holders, and trolling holders on the stern, Garmin Chirpp44 with downview and traditional fish finder as well as GPS with waypoints, and a fully collapsible bimini so walking all around is an option. The V-bow allows for gulf access to the not-too-distant reefs offshore with seas at 3 feet tolerable. The Mako is also excellent for cruising around the bays and islands. Choppy water is more bearable than the flat bottom boats in the fleet, 2 anchors for sandbar visits, the full bimini, Bluetooth speakers for music, ice chest with waters included in the rental and the 115 HP motor gets you where you want to be. This boat is fun to drive up on plane and gets around handily! It’s time to get back out as the water cools down and get some grouper and snapper fishing scheduled.
The Mako shark is the mascot and logo for this boat. We avoid a lot of talk about sharks in this business because the media and movies have done plenty to create concerns for people visiting the ocean about these types of animals. The reason the Mako is the mascot for this boat is that the Mako is the fastest shark species! Some Makos have been recorded with bursts of speed 42 mph and sustained speeds of 28 mph making them the fast sharks. The name comes primarily from a combination of Polynesian languages that means basically pointed snout shark or shark tooth. Their teeth were highly prized by certain people in the Polynesian cultures.
Makos are generally found far off shore in waters primarily tropical or warmer than 60 degrees. The Mako is one of four species that can raise their body temperature internally (endothermic) giving it an advantage over cold blooded fish. Their main prey is swordfish, mackerel, tuna, and squid – rarely do they attack humans, never as a prey. Only 9 attacks have been recorded from 1580 to 2017. Makos are a fairly large species of sharks normally about 10 feet in length, some getting to 12 or 13 feet long and up to 1300 pounds.
The Mako females are larger than males. They give birth to live young, the eggs hatch inside the female and then are born alive. They do not cannibalize the other babies as sand tigers do. The female will typically give birth every 3 years to 4-18 young and the Mako travels great distances as a pelagic fish to find a mate. The babies are born about 28 inches long. The Mako can live up to about 30 years and males become sexually mature at 8 years, females not until 18 years old.
Makos are not generally sighted in the Suncoast area so the only Mako you will likely see with BluWave is on the side of the boat when you are swimming around at Jewfish Key, Shell Key, or Caladesi Island. That is okay with us and probably with most of our guests!
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