Hammerhead Shark "attack" at Grayton

[Smiling JOe]

I don't think I have ever seen so many parents screaming with fear :eek: and their kids screaming :eek: right back at them. The quick story is that about 20 small kids were on a big @ss float at the first sandbar and a few daddies were holding the float while standing on the bar. http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/sharky.gif Someone spotted a http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/images/smilies/shark1.gif shark.:eek::eek::eek: The water quickly cleared except for all of those screaming kids:eek: and daddies.:eek: Everyone was panicking:eek: just like the movie JAWS. It was chaos. :blink: The dads quickly tried swimming http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/images/smilies/newsmilies/shark.gif the big float filled with kids back to shore and I am sure it felt like it took them 30 minutes to do so. Kids were crying and screaming, scared to death. ( I am thinking relax. Breathe.) Our brave, local heros, Rick(local), Brian Wise (WaCo Ramblers), Kelly and JP (both work at RedBar) were going in to pull kids to shore. Everyone watched as the small Hammerhead (Rick says it was a Hammerhead but I couldn't tell) swam up and down the beach, very close to shore. No one was hurt, but there are a few kids who will be ruined for life with their shark experience. I say everyone who saw the shark should consider themselves lucky. It was a special moment. (Nothing like that kind of fear to make one feel small again.) ;-)

For those of you who did not read closely, there was no actual attack by the shark.

[Mermaid]

My two kids would have been edging into the water for a closer look (and so would we I think). :eek: Sort of like the way jdarg told me she was looking at that rattlesnake over the weekend, poking and proding it, until someone wiser and more sensible told her that that was a poisonous snake she was messing with. Some people scream and panic when faced with nature; others are clueless. :floor:

[Sandcastle]

I can’t wait to see how this is reported on the 11:00 PM news tonight in Tallahassee. Some of those kids are bound to have on-going psychological problems. :lolabove: Maybe the parents can sue the shark. :biggrin:

[SHELLY]

Food for Thought: More sharks see people in the water..than people see sharks. :blink:

[Oldtimer]

The same kind of experience happened to us the last week of June. It was not in any way life threatening, but just the mention of "shark" and the memory of the movie "Jaws" puts a real fear in your mind.

There were about six of us about chest high in the water, loving every minute, when our daughter's boyfriend yelled, "Shark!" I thought he was kidding and was ready to drown him....when I saw everyone moving quickly toward shore (no easy feat for me).

All of us were out of the Gulf in seconds (seemed much longer!), but not before one of the two sharks swam right at me....just a couple feet away and coming towards me. Even though the sharks were only about three feet long, it still scared me. It also made me a bit cautious about going back in the water....but we did, just kept looking around for large objects swimming in the Gulf.

I've been swimming at Grayton all of my medium-long life and have never seen a shark in the water near me before. Now, I don't think these two could have "eaten" us or even taken a limb, but they still scared all of our group that was in the water.

What has happened in Nature to bring these animals to the Panhandle coast?

[kurt]

The 1994 net ban has brought back all species of fish to higher levels, including sharks.

Before that, commercial fishermen used gill nets longer than a football field to scoop up everything in their path. Such overfishing led to depletion of a variety of species and had a negative impact on the marine environment.

[Smiling JOe]

What has happened in Nature to bring these animals to the Panhandle coast?fish (food) "happened" and of course the Gulf "happened." If the Gulf weren't so close to Grayton, we wouldn't have sharks around Grayton. :funn:

I guess the same question could be twisted to ask about the human animals, "What has happened in Nature to bring these animals to the Panhandle coast?"

[DERBYGIRL]

Hi Everyone. I coming to visit the first week in August. Any advice on ocean safety with the kids? The adults are usually close by and we stay in groups. We don't let kids go very far out. Ages are 6 - 13. We have 10 kids in our group. Are there lifeguards at Grayton Beach? Does the water stay shallow very far out? I am always afraid my kids will walk off a sandbar. We stayed in Panama City last year and saw 3 sharks. I know they are in the water but these were very close to shore.

I am the safety lady on our group vacations so any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Thanks.

By the way.. I have been reading these posts for a couple of months. I love it.

[Uncle Timmy]

I feel bad for those poor terrified tourists. I saw a small shark myself a few weekends ago while swimming in Blue Mountain Beach. I was with a friend and we watched it swim near us for a minute and then it went away.

I have always followed the advice not to go swimming between dusk and dawn, when the water is murky, or when the fish are jumping. And don't go past the second sand bar, because the really big sharks are out there.

Follow that advice and I believe that you are safe in the water.

[DERBYGIRL]

What is the first sandbar and second sandbar?

[SHELLY]

Hi Everyone. I coming to visit the first week in August. Any advice on ocean safety with the kids? .

Make sure the little girls (or little boys if it applies) don't have on those "cute" sparkly bathing suits or wear shiny jewelry in the water--sharks are attracted to silvery bait fish.

[Mango]

Hi Everyone. I coming to visit the first week in August. Any advice on ocean safety with the kids? The adults are usually close by and we stay in groups. We don't let kids go very far out. Ages are 6 - 13. We have 10 kids in our group. Are there lifeguards at Grayton Beach? Does the water stay shallow very far out? I am always afraid my kids will walk off a sandbar. We stayed in Panama City last year and saw 3 sharks. I know they are in the water but these were very close to shore.

I am the safety lady on our group vacations so any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Thanks.

By the way.. I have been reading these posts for a couple of months. I love it.

The Beaches of South Walton has a Beach safety section that you would like to read. It also has a click through for tips on avoiding a shark encounter.
Your more likely to get hit by lightning than be attacked by a shark.
Here is the link.

http://beachesofsouthwalton.com/safety_info.asp

Have fun at the beach! and :welcome:

[kurt]

What is the first sandbar and second sandbar?

Just what it sounds like - it will be apparent when you see them.

There is no lifeguard at Grayton Beach. They are here. (http://www.swfd.org/beachsd.php)

Shark threats are overstated because most aren't interested in people and most are not aggressive, but don't swim if menstruating, avoid dusk to dawn swimming, don't wear flashy jewelry or bathing suits with pics of sushi, stay close to shore, stay away from fishermen.

Worry more about rip tides, lightning, and skin cancer.

http://beachesofsouthwalton.com/safety_info.asp

[SHELLY]

but don't swim if menstruating, avoid dusk to dawn swimming, don't wear flashy jewelry or bathing suits with pics of sushi, stay close to shore, stay away from fishermen. Worry more about rip tides, lightning, and skin cancer.


You forgot: Don't play on the sand dunes; take the trash and toys off the beach at night; don't ride golf carts on the bike paths and "Enjoy a carefree day on the beach" :D

[seagrovelover]

SJ I just love how you tell a story :clap_1:

[JB]

I don't think I have ever seen so many parents screaming with fear :eek: and their kids screaming :eek: right back at them. The quick story is that about 20 small kids were on a big @ss float at the first sandbar and a few daddies were holding the float while standing on the bar. http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/sharky.gif Someone spotted a http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/images/smilies/shark1.gif shark.:eek::eek::eek: The water quickly cleared except for all of those screaming kids:eek: and daddies.:eek: Everyone was panicking:eek: just like the movie JAWS. It was chaos. :blink: The dads quickly tried swimming http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/images/smilies/newsmilies/shark.gif the big float filled with kids back to shore and I am sure it felt like it took them 30 minutes to do so. Kids were crying and screaming, scared to death. ( I am thinking relax. Breathe.) Our brave, local heros, Rick(local), Brian Wise (WaCo Ramblers), Kelly and JP (both work at RedBar) were going in to pull kids to shore. Everyone watched as the small Hammerhead (Rick says it was a Hammerhead but I couldn't tell) swam up and down the beach, very close to shore. No one was hurt, but there are a few kids who will be ruined for life with their shark experience. I say everyone who saw the shark should consider themselves lucky. It was a special moment. (Nothing like that kind of fear to make one feel small again.) ;-)

For those of you who did not read closely, there was no actual attack by the shark.

Good Lord. Did you get an emoticon package for your birthday? :lolabove:

[Mango]

Just what it sounds like - it will be apparent when you see them.

http://beachesofsouthwalton.com/safety_info.asp

Kurt, do you have me blocked? :eek: I just put up that link. :razz:

[redrocket]

poor kids. good thing there was a rambler on hand. boy those ramblers are the hardest working guys in showbiz.....playing shows, working day jobs, fightin' sharks and saving babies.

:lolabove:

[Mermaid]

poor kids. good thing there was a rambler on hand. boy those ramblers are the hardest working guys in showbiz.....playing shows, working day jobs, fightin' sharks and saving babies.

:lolabove:

Our local heroes! :clap_1:

[kurt]

Kurt, do you have me blocked? :eek: I just put up that link. :razz:

Who said that?






I thought I heard something. :scratch:

[saj300]

Last year, we were at the public beach access in Santa Rosa, and a beach fisherman caught and reeled in a shark right up on the beach through the middle of a bunch of screaming swimmers. Since then, I never swim near anyone fishing, and ask those fishing to find a spot away from me (only if my family was in the water at that location first). I also never rent a condo near one of those fishing piers. I always thought it better to stay away from waters chummed by a bunch of kids baiting a hook.

I just looked at the tips to avoid a "shark encounter." All things I have heard before, but good to hear again. The only tip I have always found confusing relates to sand bars. Despite the above posts, I don't think it is easy to detect the first or second sand bars, and their locations are definitely not consistent. In some areas, the sandbars are easy to reach, and in others, they are far out. So I don't think that is an appropriate guidepost for children. Last year, when the teenage girl in Destin was attacked, it was reported she was on the second sand bar, though witness reports conflicted as to how far out she was swimming. The sentiment expressed on the Weather Channel program, "predators in the panhandle," was that she was too far out, and that, in a sense, she put herself in the wrong place and was to blame. My general rule, consequently, is to avoid as much risk as possible (I know the ocean is wild and there will be some risk), stay close to shore in 3-5 foot of water, and save the deep water swimming for the condo pool.

I love the beach and ocean, and know that there is some risk involved , but would appreciate any clarificaiton from a local ocean swimmer on the sand bar rule, and whether or not the local thinks that rule is really helpful. How far out in your opinion is "too far?"

[Ocean Lover]

:welcome: Derbygirl! One of the reasons l love the area so much is that you can actually see what you are swimming with. I wouldn't swim very far out on a murky water day. Just keep a look out and all will be fine. Good advice from Shelly and Kurt. Have a grayt vacation!

[kurt]

saj - the sand bars move and shift, especially during storms. They disappear after major events. Sometimes and in some areas they are prominent and sometimes not. In general though if the water is at least fairly clear you can easily see them, especially from a walkover. The classic scene is the first sand bar 20-50 feet from the shorelins and the second 50-100 feet beyond that, but they can vary greatly. Sometimes there are none or one. It is harder to see the 2nd bar because it is farther out and usually deeper..

Fish and their predators (sharks) like to cruise in between the sandbars, but the main thing is to not go to far out even though sharks will come right up to the shore it is not as common as deeper water.

[Smiling JOe]

Currently, in Grayton, the first sandbar is approx 120' from the beach. The second sandbar is a good 650 ft from the beach (illegal to swim out that far). Sharks, including the one seen yesterday, will swim in the trough between the beach and the first sand bar while feeding. The drop offs near both sandbars are a place where fish like to hang out, thus you will commonly see sharks and Dolphins feeding there. Right now, the trough between the beach and the first sandbar may vary and be as deep as 5 or 6 feet. Even as close as 5 ft to the beach, water can be 3ft deep.

By the way, the second sandbar is nothing which you can stand on, unless you are much taller than Shaquille O'Neal. ;-)

Below is an example (not current) of the sandbars in Grayton with measurements from the beach to the high point of the sandbars.

http://sowal.com/bb/gallery/files/2/1/6/grayton.jpg

[Bud]

ehh most those sharks want nothing to do with people. more people die from coconuts falling on there heads...

[miramargal]

Also, aren't solid color bathing suits in colors other than yellow or orange better? We always get my son a plain light blue suit that is for the gulf and a wild patterned one for the pool.

[saj300]

Thanks kurt and sj, both posts very helpful. the picture is great. bud, i agree, and am not too worried about the risk. but just like the risk of being struck by lightning is low, i know not to get under a tree during a lightning storm. similarly, while the risk of a shark encounter is low, I would prefer not to take actions that would subject me to unnecessary risk. so, i would want to know, if, while my family was swimming at the first sand bar (with my permission), the locals (who spend more than one week a year at the beach and are more familiar with the inherent "wildness" of the ocean) are thinking to themselves, "what in the heck are they doing splashing around out there?" After watching that program on the Weather Channel, I got the impression that the locals in the destin area had these thoughts concerning the poor girl that was attacked. i dont want my loved ones to be in the same situation.

My point is--I think the unqualifiied statement that, in regard to the possibility of encouterning a shark, "you are more likely to get struck by lightning," gives a false sense of security to those who might, through ignorant bliss, swim out to the deeps with no concern whatsoever.

thanks again for the local insight! From an unworried, but aware, tourist.

[Franny]

Also, aren't solid color bathing suits in colors other than yellow or orange better? We always get my son a plain light blue suit that is for the gulf and a wild patterned one for the pool.

Great idea miramargal!! :lolabove:

[JB]

Also, aren't solid color bathing suits in colors other than yellow or orange better? We always get my son a plain light blue suit that is for the gulf and a wild patterned one for the pool.

Sharks don't see in color, do they? I can understand not wearing anything shiny that could reflect sunlight, but wearing a certain color swimsuit?

Any marine biologists around? :lol:

[TripleB]

My wife bought me trunks with shiny silver fish medallions dangling from the legs. Come to think of it...she did have a smirk when she gave them to me.

[jdarg]

My wife bought me trunks with shiny silver fish medallions dangling from the legs. Come to think of it...she did have a smirk when she gave them to me.

I'd only be concerned if you had the trunks on, and she told you to swim next to 5 fisherman while holding a golf club in a lightening storm.

[Smiling JOe]

Sharks don't see in color, do they? I can understand not wearing anything shiny that could reflect sunlight, but wearing a certain color swimsuit?

Any marine biologists around? :lol:


From www.graysreef.nos.noaa.gov/tw/sharks.html (http://www.graysreef.nos.noaa.gov/tw/sharks.html)
"Sharks are well adapted to their watery environment. They have good eyesight and the ability to see colors. "

**************************************
from www.thesea.ecsd.net/sharks1.htm (http://www.thesea.ecsd.net/sharks1.htm)

" Eyesight- Sharks don't see color or detail the way we do, but they have eyes well suited to see in the dim light of the ocean. They are quick to see moving objects and to see changes in light and shadow."

Makes you wonder what they do see.

[Smiling JOe]

I'd only be concerned if you had the trunks on, and she told you to swim next to 5 fisherman while holding a golf club in a lightening storm....and under a Coconut Tree. :floor:

[JB]

Puts me in the mind of one of my favorite movie quotes:

the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'. The ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces

Quint in "Jaws."

[TripleB]

The "Au de Mackrel" suntan lotion she got me was over the top though.

[gotothebeachmom]

...and under a Coconut Tree. :floor:

I don't think it's what they see. I think it's this dang music that sends them into a frenzy. :eek:

http://www.sharkattackphotos.com/Sounds/jawstheme.wav

[jdarg]

The "Au de Mackrel" suntan lotion she got me was over the top though.

I think you are going to take this board to a whole new level.:lolabove:

[pgurney]

Ahhh...I bet she did it just for the hallibut. :funn:

[miramargal]

Well, as far as the color thing, I remember reading about "shark safety" a few years ago when the attacks started to make national news and one of them said that the color yellow is known as "yum yum yellow" to shark experts because it attracts them and the same about orange. I don't know why. We just figured that the light blue would be the closest to the color of water and least likely to attract attention.

I must admit I cringe inside every time my son goes out in the water with his boogie board. But we have spent years teaching him to love the gulf and it would be absurd to try to take that away from him now. He knows to respect the wildlife, that it is their home first.

[Mermaid]

Puts me in the mind of one of my favorite movie quotes:

the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'. The ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces

Quint in "Jaws."

Now you've done it. You've gone ahead and said the "J" word. :creepy:

[TripleB]

The color yellow thing makes sense. Ever seen canaries hanging around the beach?

[miramargal]

Why does the "Jaws" thing always pop up just before I go to the beach?

I saw it on t.v. the other day and turned the channel...and now...

da da....da da....da da da da da da...da da dahhhhhh.....


...sometimes the net just can't capture the subtle innuendo...

[TripleB]

Naw...thats the Dragnet song.

[miramargal]

...or maybe the Pink Panther song.

[skippertoo]

[QUOTE=miramargal]Well, as far as the color thing, I remember reading about "shark safety" a few years ago when the attacks started to make national news and one of them said that the color yellow is known as "yum yum yellow" to shark experts because it attracts them and the same about orange. I don't know why. We just figured that the light blue would be the closest to the color of water and least likely to attract attention.

OK, now I think I want to spray paint my Ocean Kayak (sunrise color) BLUE

[miramargal]

skipper, might be a good idea...check this out.
http://www.lostenterprises.com/prod/newsArtical.php?ID=769

Here are some references to "yum yum yellow"
http://www.shipsrecord.com/blogs/patrick/archive/2005/01/21/157.aspx
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/isaf/color.htm

[kurt]

Sharks don't see in color, do they? I can understand not wearing anything shiny that could reflect sunlight, but wearing a certain color swimsuit?

Any marine biologists around? :lol:

I found plenty of research that says they do, before considering and rejecting a red kayak.

It's not the probability of a shark bite that is scary, it is the bite itself. Shark attack, based on probability is an unreasonable fear I chalk up to our primal nature. It's in our DNA way back before we emerged from the ocean. Of course Spielberg didn't help out either. :lol:

I have had to make an effort at times to control emotions in the gulf. When I was a child, sharks never entered my mind while I was swimming. I try to be that way now.

[skippertoo]

Don't want one to come after Cooper :shock:

[30-gAy]

Well, as far as the color thing, I remember reading about "shark safety" a few years ago when the attacks started to make national news and one of them said that the color yellow is known as "yum yum yellow" to shark experts because it attracts them and the same about orange. I don't know why.

I seem to remember an Asian draq queen by the name of Yum Yum Yellow who performed in bars in Mobile years back. I'm willing to bet the sight of her cruising Grayton Beach would send the tourists screaming too..................

[Smiling JOe]

OK, now I think I want to spray paint my Ocean Kayak (sunrise color) BLUE

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/small-wonders/killer-whale/images/killer-whale.jpg
What about painting a Killer Whale on the bottom or your boat, or swimsuits with prints of Killer Whales? :funn:

[ktschris]

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/small-wonders/killer-whale/images/killer-whale.jpg
What about painting a Killer Whale on the bottom or your boat, or swimsuits with prints of Killer Whales? :funn:
:lolabove: Oh great, like its not traumatic enough to search for a swimming suit to flatter...now we need to get one with a whale print? No thanks, I think I’ll take my chances. Besides, I always make sure I go in with a group and stand in the middle...let the weaker ones on the outside get hit first. :rolling:

[Smiling JOe]

http://www.greatwhiteadventures.com/images/hammerhead-shark.jpg

Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun...


http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/sharksoup/img/hungry.jpg
Hey, this kid caught the Shark in question. :floor:


http://www.fishingkites.co.nz/newsletters/images/41a.jpg

Actually, this one is a little closer to the size of the one seen yesterday at Grayton.

[miramargal]

30-gAy---I bet she had a hellova bite on her......

[Snerd]

Being a lifelong local, I thought that most sharks are nurse sharks around here. Nurse sharks aren't aggressive and sadly, tiger sharks and hammerheads (mako too?) do surface from time to time (sometimes deadly), but it seems that the majority of sharks are harmless. Of course I didn't think so when I last saw one in the waves. I didn't care what kind of shark it was, it was a *#$%^ SHARK!

I love this place and will always be out floating on the raft, (not that time of the month, no shiny jewlry, etc), but I do think that watching your distance to the shore can be a livesafer. Forget first sandbar, second sandbar....Don't go out too far! I know too far, but how do you explain it to people? You can't necessarily say past the 1st sandbar, nor the 2nd, so how do you tell them instict?! (*not so sure I worded that right, but be leery of going past the first sandbar!!!!*)

Shark nuggets....if fried right, they're tasty!

[Snerd]

When we first moved here in the early 80's a 14+' hammerhead washed up on shore at the goatfeathers access (then only a path through the dunes)...we thought it was normal. I wish I had the photos to scan, but I don't :(

[DD]

I seem to remember an Asian draq queen by the name of Yum Yum Yellow who performed in bars in Mobile years back. I'm willing to bet the sight of her cruising Grayton Beach would send the tourists screaming too..................

:floor: :floor: :funn:

[Smiling JOe]

The latest report is that someone video taped the madness and it will be posted to youtube.com when they return from their vacation. ;-)

[Paula]

When we first moved here in the early 80's a 14+' hammerhead washed up on shore at the goatfeathers access (then only a path through the dunes)...we thought it was normal. I wish I had the photos to scan, but I don't :(

Welcome, Snerd. It's good to hear from a lifetime local. I hope you get inspired to post more stories about the area from a local's perspective.

[Smiling JOe]

Being a lifelong local, I thought that most sharks are nurse sharks around here. Nurse sharks aren't aggressive and sadly, tiger sharks and hammerheads (mako too?) do surface from time to time ...

I don't know which Shark species account for the greatest number in this area, but I have seen Black Tips and Hammerheads, and have surfer friends who have seen Mako's and Tiger Sharks. I have never heard anyone spotting a Nurse Shark along the beach, but maybe because they are uneventful.

[kurt]

Sand sharks are what we have most of and do not bother anyone. Bull Sharks are the problem. They look a lot alike.

[Rambler]

love the pic of my boots smilin joe!! Now as far as sharks are concerned..........

They have always been there and they will always be there. Tourists need to know that its best not to wear shiny things in the water (they look like fish) second, if you see a shark DONT freak out and splash around. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. these rules are very simple. Now on the net ban, stupidest thing ever. A lot of my friends who have fished their whole lives lost their livelihood over that. Ever think that most fisherman follow the rules and dont want to overfish? This supports their families and feeds them!! Some of my best memories involve a bay skiff, my father, a large net, and 20 local kids chasing the mullet so the whole neighborhood could eat. WHY ARE NETS SO WRETCHED again??? if you go on about pictures of dead sea turtles ( you do realize these pics are actually taken off shores other than our own) I may have to get angry. BRING THE NETS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kurt]

love the pic of my boots smilin joe!! Now as far as sharks are concerned..........

They have always been there and they will always be there. Tourists need to know that its best not to wear shiny things in the water (they look like fish) second, if you see a shark DONT freak out and splash around. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. these rules are very simple. Now on the net ban, stupidest thing ever. A lot of my friends who have fished their whole lives lost their livelihood over that. Ever think that most fisherman follow the rules and dont want to overfish? This supports their families and feeds them!! Some of my best memories involve a bay skiff, my father, a large net, and 20 local kids chasing the mullet so the whole neighborhood could eat. WHY ARE NETS SO WRETCHED again??? if you go on about pictures of dead sea turtles ( you do realize these pics are actually taken off shores other than our own) I may have to get angry. BRING THE NETS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It wasn't the small guy that was the problem. Unfortunately the old days when the majority of people followed rules and cared for their environment are over.

[laurawood]

to tell you the truth I think those days are just beginning. A lot of the younger generation (mine) are now becoming adults and have been well educated.

To punish the masses for the unjustices of a few is a crime.

[laurawood]

accidently logged in under someone elses name. so you all know it was my perspective. laurawood

[Smiling JOe]

I am glad to see the group of kids, whom were on the float during the shark incident, are still playing in the water (along with their dads). They are staying closer to shore, but are having a great time getting wet. :clap_1: