The Sharks of Lake Nicaragua: True Tales of Adventure, Travel, and Fishing

by Randy Wayne White

Whether he’s engaging in mock aerial combat or riding an Iditarod sled, Randy Wayne White is one of America’s most adventurous travelers. In this collection he studies anti-terrorist driving techniques, dives for golf balls in an alligator-infested pond, hunts his fellow man with a paint gun, ice-fishes for walleye with X-ray-stunned night-crawlers, and goes pig-shooting with Dr. Pavlov. With self-effacing optimism, White captures the joys and fears of wandering the earth’s surface with an eclectic cast of fellow a frog that won’t jump, a group of expatriate Brits who’ve developed an interesting cure for “road jaundice,” and even a mad Australian scientist. Though he rarely finds what he’s looking for—like the legendary landlocked bull sharks of Lake Nicaragua—he develops a Zen-like “passion for the means” and a rare ability to revel in the rib-aching humor of each exotic trip. In the end, White leaves the reader mesmerized by the potential of undiscovered places and the promise of endless adventure in unfamiliar territory, from Florida to Borneo and everywhere in between. A leader of the new breed of thick-skinned, high-endurance adventure travelers of the 1990s, Randy Wayne White uniquely extols the pleasures of being “alone and on the move.”

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Adventure, Short Stories

232 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

About the author

aka Carl Ramm, Randy Striker

Randy Wayne White (born 1950) is an American writer of crime fiction and non-fiction adventure tales. He has written best-selling novels and has received awards for his fiction and a television documentary. He is best known for his series of crime novels featuring the retired NSA agent Doc Ford, a marine biologist living on the Gulf Coast of southern Florida. White has contributed material on a variety of topics to numerous magazines and has lectured across the United States. A resident of Southwest Florida since 1972, he currently lives on Pine Island, Florida, where he is active in South Florida civic affairs and with the restaurant Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grill on nearby Sanibel Island.

Series:
* Doc Ford Mystery

Reviews

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is filled with travel stories for the most part. The author was a writer for Outdoors Magazine and the book is filled with his stories. From surfing to travel, the author’s stories cover the gambit from travel in the United States to travel around the world. He is at times humorous and always incite full. It was a good break in my nonfiction reading.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic travel book. If you are interested in Latin America and have even a passing interest in fishing, this is worth the read. I last read this book almost 10 years ago and I still remember it.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sharks of Lake Nicaragua: True Tales of Adventure, Travel, and Fishing by Randy Wayne White is a nonfiction account of the author's attempts at new outdoor sporting endeavors. The author, who writes the Doc Ford mysteries, formerly wrote for Outdoor Magazine. This book is a series of short-story accounts of his stabs at eclectic outdoor activities, including surfing, antiterrorist evasive driving school, paintball, mushing, etc. This is not my favorite, for as the book progresses, the stories move farther and farther away from the endeavors promised by the chapter titles. It's still a good read overall. My rating: 7/10, finished 8/5/12.

[Kathy Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Randy Wayne White is such a fun writer. This book was a little different from his mystery books. This shared more of what he was doing in various locations. It is very good. I especially enjoyed reading about his road trip in Nicaragua since I've been there on a mission trip and I can verify all the horrors of road travel, the saddening poverty, the joy of children who receive any gifts, the beauty of Granada contrasted to the rest of the cities. The other stories were fun too, especially the ice-fishing tales, hoping to catch the famous walleye all the Minnesotans or Minnehahas talk about. Great easy reading. I'm a big fan of his books.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Randy Wayne White books and his Doc Ford hero, you will realize (after reading this book) that there is a fine line between reality and fiction between the two characters. Like others that read this book, I found some of the stories very entertaining, while some of the depth in the fishing tales was lost on me.

[Joshua Pressel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this book last month. It's a great light hearted, fast paced read, full of interesting stories. Not a lot of depth, but that also prevents White from sounding overly philosophical and pretentious.

[Jrobertus · Rating 2 out of 5]

a fishing travel book. well written, humorous takes on his experiences trying to catch a variety of fish. also some interesting stuff about those fabled, but now extinct, sharks.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about RWW's travel adventures. He sure has had some close calls. You can see where he picked up lots of the material and facts for the Doc Ford novels.

[Erin Phelps · Rating 3 out of 5]

totally great writing - comfortable, funny, self-deprecating. i did have to skim the few stories that were primarily about fishing though....

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true delight - I am sad that I have finished his non-fiction trilogy

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories better than others. The Florida golf course stint had me laughing out loud.

[Travel Abroad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am ready to go!

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best travel writers in the business.

[Jean Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicaragua - Round the world reading challenge

[Jane Mirandette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than fiction!