Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Bull Shark

Bull Shark Carcharhinus leucas:

Size: 7 to 12 ft
Weight: 200 to 500 lbs
Where Found: The bull shark is found all over the world in many different areas and has been known to travel long distances. The bull shark is common in warm coastal areas, in rivers and lakes, and occasionally streams if they are deep enough in both salt and fresh water. After Hurricane Katrina, many bull sharks were sighted in Lake Ponchartrain. Bull sharks have occasionally gone up the Mississippi River as far upstream as Alton, Illinois. They have also been found in the Potomac River in Maryland.
Remarks: Bull Sharks are not bothered by brackish and freshwater, and even venture far inland via rivers and tributaries. Because of these characteristics, many experts consider bull sharks to be one of the most dangerous sharks in the world. The Bull Shark's ability to enter fresh water is limited because their blood is normally at least as salty as seawater through the accumulation of urea, but bull sharks living in fresh water reduce the concentration of these solutes by up to 50%. As a result, bull sharks living in fresh water need to produce twenty times as much urine as those in salt water.

The bull shark is well known for its unpredictable, often aggressive behavior that many scientists believe they may be more dangerous to humans than any other species of sharks, and that they join tiger sharks and great white sharks as the three shark species most likely to attack humans. Bull sharks get their name from their short, blunt snout, as well as their pugnacious disposition and a tendency to head-butt their prey before attacking. They are medium-size sharks, with thick, stout bodies and long pectoral fins. They are gray on top and white below, and the fins have dark tips, particularly on young bull sharks.

They are found cruising the shallow, warm waters of all the world’s oceans. They are fast, agile predators, and will eat almost anything they see, including fish, dolphins, birds, turtles, and even other sharks. Humans are not, part of their diet but, they frequent the turbid waters of estuaries and bays, and often attack people inadvertently or out of curiosity.