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    Watch the Video

    The legend of Shark Boy Hunter: How a 9-year-old shark hunter turned into aGalveston icon

    Tyler Rudick
    Apr 23, 2012 | 4:24 pm
    The legend of Shark Boy Hunter: How a 9-year-old shark hunter turned into aGalveston icon
    play icon

    Floating on a yellow kayak off Galveston Island this Sunday, nine-year-old Hunter Stevens hooked his first shark of the season — a blacktip measuring nearly five feet in length. And like all of his big game fishing finds, Hunter has the video to prove it.

    “Pull that rod tip up . . . there you go,” instructs Kevin Stevens, Hunter's dad, as the creature darts back and forth just beneath the surface of the bay. “Get ready, he’s going to run, when he runs, let him run.” The idea is to allow the shark to tire itself, so the father-son duo can reel in the animal and release it.

    “Way to go,” Kevin congratulates his son. "They don't call you Shark Boy for nothing, do they?"

    “Don’t let him pull you over," Kevin laughs. "They might call CPS [Child Protective Services] on us.”

    The father soon takes the rod and pulls the shark to the side of the boat, rubbing the animal's snout in an effort to keep it calm. "Help us out here, sharky," Hunter says while taking care of camera duties. "We're trying to release you."

    And like that, the line is cut and the shark darts off into what are surely less human-populated waters.

    “Way to go,” Kevin congratulates his son. "They don't call you Shark Boy for nothing, do they?"

    The Stevens' are experienced at catching large Gulf Coast fish and, for several years, have been posting all the interesting finds on their blog, SharkBoyHunter.

    Early sightings more frequent

    According to a recent report, however, Hunter's mom Christina Stevens has noted that sharks have been appearing earlier in the season than ever. In fact, Kevin and Hunter almost caught two other large sharks earlier in the day Sunday.

    CultureMap spoke with Houston Zoo aquariums keeper Rebecca Herring about the reasons behind the uptick in Galveston-area sightings and the dangers that might come along with it.

    "This was not a dangerous shark, by any means," Rebecca Herring says. "For the most part, they're very skittish and will run away."

    "This was not a dangerous shark, by any means," she says. "They're incredibly fast swimmers. If you come into direct sudden contact, it might knick you, but for the most part, they're very skittish and will run away."

    Like most sharks along the United States coast, the blacktip is classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Due to its speed and agility in the water though, it comes equipped with some reliable survival skills.

    According to Herring, shark season is definitely getting longer.

    "NOAA [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] keeps track of water temperatures and has definitely seen warm water on the rise," she explains. "The warmer waters tend to increase reproduction among smaller animals, which attracts the larger predatory fish."

    Is that true?

    While it had an expert on the phone, CultureMap had one last question: Does rubbing a shark on the nose really make it calm?

    "Well, sharks have these jelly-filled sacks on their snouts that pick up electrical impulses in the water that help them find food," Herring says. "People say touching those spots puts the animal in an almost Tantric state." She notes that while the theory does make sense, there does not appear to be a substantial research to back it up — at least from the shark's perspective.

    For now, until humans can communicate with sharks, this age-old question remains unanswered. Shark Boy Hunter probably knows though.

    unspecified
    news/city-life

    the search is on

    Game-changing leader of Houston Parks Board to retire after 10 years

    Jef Rouner
    May 21, 2025 | 10:00 am
    Houston Parks Board CEO Beth White stands at a podium at the Captain Herod Memorial, Houston Mayor John Whitmire is seated nearby.
    Photo by Melissa Taylor
    Beth White speaking at the Captain Herod Memorial on January 28,2025

    It's the end of an era at the Houston Parks Board (HPB). CEO Beth White announced Wednesday, May 21 that she will be retiring on January 1, 2026.

    "As I reflect on my career, one of the most rewarding decisions I have made was coming to Houston," White said in a statement. "The entrepreneurial drive in this city is very powerful, our public-private partnership model is second to none, and the creativity at play is a model for the nation."

    White began her stewardship of the HPB in 2016. Before coming to Houston, she oversaw Chicago's Trust for Public Land, guiding the development of the city's famous elevated trailway, the 606. Her experience made her perfect to lead the HPB as Houston dedicated itself to a radical improvement of its park spaces. With HPB responsible for 3,300 acres across 250 parks, as well as coordinating access to another 14,000 acres, it was an executive position for an area physically larger than many cities.

    White proved herself a competent and visionary general of Houston's greenspaces. During her time, she led the revitalization of 30 Houston parks, mostly in marginalized and underserved communities. Her work netted her an appointment to the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2021, where she helped federal agencies make long-term plans about public space usage.

    Perhaps her greatest accomplishment as CEO of HPB is the Bayou Greenway project, a bold re-imagining of Houston's waterways. The project has built 150 miles worth of trails that hug the various bayous and creeks meandering through Houston, turning what were often foot traffic barriers into an artery system of green trails connecting various park spaces across the city. Isolated pockets of community space are now linked through easy to use trail systems, making foot traffic across Houston simpler and more beautiful to experience.

    “It is very gratifying to see that Houstonians are embracing parks and greenspace as an essential part of the region’s infrastructure. I am proud to have played a part in Houston’s green renaissance and look forward to continued progress thanks to the talented and dedicated staff and board at Houston Parks Board,” said White.

    Cory King, president and CEO, and Ben Feit, principal, at Kittleman and Associates, are leading the search for suitable candidates to fill White's very big shoes. In the meantime, White will continue to lead the organization for the rest of the year.

    "Houston Parks Board would not be in the position it is today without the guidance and leadership of Beth White. As we commemorate her throughout this year, we are grateful that Beth’s vision has helped transform our organization into a regional and national leader for parks and greenspace,” said Houston Parks Board chair Cullen Geiselman Muse. “We are also excited to begin the search for her successor. Houston is a unique region that offers different opportunities to maximize available space and create multi-purpose greenspaces that make real, lasting impacts on our communities. We look forward to sharing more information as the search progresses."

    parkshouston parks boardbeth white
    news/city-life

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