River sharks (genus Glyphis)
River sharks are true freshwater sharks, unlike bull sharks which are euryhaline; the two may be confused in freshwater settings.
Bull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
The bull shark is a euryhaline requiem shark found in warm, shallow coastal, estuarine and riverine waters worldwide and is listed as vulnerable.
Species Guide
What to know about bull sharks
A clean field guide focused on habitat, identification, behavior, and conservation context without burying the useful parts.
The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts, in estuaries and in rivers. It is euryhaline and can thrive in both salt and fresh water, and individuals have been recorded traveling far upriver — for example, up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Illinois, about 1,100 kilometres from the ocean. Bull sharks are known for their aggressive nature; larger individuals are responsible for a large part of nearshore shark attacks and may account for many attacks involving unidentified species. Unlike river sharks of the genus Glyphis, bull sharks are not true freshwater sharks despite their ability to survive in freshwater habitats. Bull sharks are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Ongoing shark-culling efforts near beaches to protect beachgoers are among the causes contributing to continuing population declines. The species also appears on the 2000 colones banknote from Costa Rica.
Bull shark populations are continuing to decrease; ongoing shark-culling efforts near beaches to protect beachgoers are cited as one cause.
Euryhaline species that commonly occurs in warm, shallow coastal, estuarine and lower river reaches and can travel far upriver from the ocean.
The strongest linked planning options currently surface around destinations such as Coral Coast, Viti Levu, Palm Beach, Florida, Playa del Carmen and countries such as Mexico, United States of America, Costa Rica for divers building trips around bull sharks.
