* THE BULL SHARK IS THE MOST DANGEROUS SHARK THAT MANKIND * * HAS EVER MET. Go to the #1 most dangerous shark page to see why *
Showing posts with label About Bullsharks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Bullsharks. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Bull Shark Facts
Bull Shark Facts - National Geographic:
Among the most likely sharks to attack humans, bull sharks favor shallow coastal waters—the same places humans prefer to swim.
Bullshark Facts
Type: Fish
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild:16 years
Size: 7 to 11.5 ft (2.1 to 3.4 m)
Weight: 200 to 500 lbs (90 to 230 kg)
Group name: School or shoal
Did you know?
Bull sharks have been found thousands of miles up the Amazon River, and in Nicaragua have been seen leaping up river rapids, salmon-like, to reach inland Lake Nicaragua.
Bull sharks are aggressive, common, and usually live near high-population areas like tropical shorelines. They 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 the most dangerous sharks in the world. Historically, they are joined by their more famous cousins, great whites and tiger sharks, as the three 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. Fast, agile predators, they will eat almost anything they see, including fish, dolphins, and even other sharks. Humans are not, per se, on their menus. However, they frequent the turbid waters of estuaries and bays, and often attack people inadvertently or out of curiosity.
Bull sharks currently are not threatened or endangered. However, they are fished widely for their meat, hides, and oils, and their numbers are likely shrinking. One study has found that their average lengths have declined significantly
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
A bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) Photograph by Brian J. Skerry
Among the most likely sharks to attack humans, bull sharks favor shallow coastal waters—the same places humans prefer to swim.
Bull Shark Range
Type: Fish
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild:16 years
Size: 7 to 11.5 ft (2.1 to 3.4 m)
Weight: 200 to 500 lbs (90 to 230 kg)
Group name: School or shoal
Did you know?
Bull sharks have been found thousands of miles up the Amazon River, and in Nicaragua have been seen leaping up river rapids, salmon-like, to reach inland Lake Nicaragua.
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:
Illustration: Bull shark compared with adult man
Because of these characteristics, many experts consider bull sharks to be the most dangerous sharks in the world. Historically, they are joined by their more famous cousins, great whites and tiger sharks, as the three 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. Fast, agile predators, they will eat almost anything they see, including fish, dolphins, and even other sharks. Humans are not, per se, on their menus. However, they frequent the turbid waters of estuaries and bays, and often attack people inadvertently or out of curiosity.
Bull sharks currently are not threatened or endangered. However, they are fished widely for their meat, hides, and oils, and their numbers are likely shrinking. One study has found that their average lengths have declined significantly
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Freak Bull Shark?
Bizarre Bull Shark Record:
Wednesday 28 January 2009
Cape Town: In a bizarre twist, the day before a lifeguard lost his life to a Zambezi shark on the Wild Coast, the world's largest was caught 5.5 kms up a river in the Western Cape, reports Wavescape
Yes, the Western Cape! International and local records tumbled as a team of shark conservationists hooked the largest Zambezi shark known to science - a massive pregnant female four metres in length and weighing almost half a ton. But wait for it. This awesome creature was found 5.5 kms up the Breede River, a large river that comes out near the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas. It is the furthest south a bull shark has been found in Africa.
Visitors, holidaymakers and home owners who have frolicked in the river over the years, expressed stunned surprise at the news.
But for conservationist Meaghen McCord, managing director of the SA Shark Conservancy, this is a ground-breaking realisation of carefully planned scientific research. For a while now, fishermen have spoken about huge Zambezi sharks interfering with their lines in the river. More than a few have laughed at this claim. Well, the second expedition by McCord and her team has proved it to be true.
Joining them were representatives from Marine and Coastal Management, officers from the Lower Breede River Conservancy, a marine biologist from Marine Dynamics, and professional anglers from Big Fish Safari, said McCord. Running from 19 to 25 January, the first three days of their reserach yielded nothing, despite a gruelling regimen fishing with live bait for 16 hours a day.
However, on the fourth day, Friday January 23, a female they affectionately named Nyami Nyami after the Zambezi river God, was hooked by professional angler Hennie Papenfuss. According to McCord, 'Hennie gently handled the shark, letting her tow him a further 2.5km (say what? - ed), tiring her out before we brought her close to shore and landed her on a mud bank'.
'One can only imagine how excited we were to finally see such a magnificent animal in the river, but our excitement did not prevent us from gathering all the necessary scientific data and attaching two acoustic tags to track her movements during the following days.'
Over the next few days, the team discovered three amazing facts:
1 Nyami Nyami is the largest Zambezi shark known to science (four metres long and weighing between 400 and 500 kilos). The previous known maximum length is about 3.5m
2 The furthest south Zambezis have been found is Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape. Nyami Nyami is the only animal ever observed in the Western Cape, and she is the biggest ever!
3 Nyami Nyami looked heavily pregnant, suggesting the Breede River could be an important nursery
Nyami Nyami was subsequently tracked for 43 consecutive hours. 'As far as we know, this is the longest time this species has been tracked. She moved up and down the estuary, following fishing boats and looking for an easy source of food, swimming as far as 15km upriver,' McCord said.
Bru, put that in your pipe and smoke it. How weird is that? I mean, this is a river that flows through the Cape winelands, passing Tulbagh and Swellendam on its way to the waters east of Cape Agulhas. Classic!
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Wednesday 28 January 2009
Cape Town: In a bizarre twist, the day before a lifeguard lost his life to a Zambezi shark on the Wild Coast, the world's largest was caught 5.5 kms up a river in the Western Cape, reports Wavescape
Yes, the Western Cape! International and local records tumbled as a team of shark conservationists hooked the largest Zambezi shark known to science - a massive pregnant female four metres in length and weighing almost half a ton. But wait for it. This awesome creature was found 5.5 kms up the Breede River, a large river that comes out near the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas. It is the furthest south a bull shark has been found in Africa.
Visitors, holidaymakers and home owners who have frolicked in the river over the years, expressed stunned surprise at the news.
But for conservationist Meaghen McCord, managing director of the SA Shark Conservancy, this is a ground-breaking realisation of carefully planned scientific research. For a while now, fishermen have spoken about huge Zambezi sharks interfering with their lines in the river. More than a few have laughed at this claim. Well, the second expedition by McCord and her team has proved it to be true.
Joining them were representatives from Marine and Coastal Management, officers from the Lower Breede River Conservancy, a marine biologist from Marine Dynamics, and professional anglers from Big Fish Safari, said McCord. Running from 19 to 25 January, the first three days of their reserach yielded nothing, despite a gruelling regimen fishing with live bait for 16 hours a day.
However, on the fourth day, Friday January 23, a female they affectionately named Nyami Nyami after the Zambezi river God, was hooked by professional angler Hennie Papenfuss. According to McCord, 'Hennie gently handled the shark, letting her tow him a further 2.5km (say what? - ed), tiring her out before we brought her close to shore and landed her on a mud bank'.
'One can only imagine how excited we were to finally see such a magnificent animal in the river, but our excitement did not prevent us from gathering all the necessary scientific data and attaching two acoustic tags to track her movements during the following days.'
Over the next few days, the team discovered three amazing facts:
1 Nyami Nyami is the largest Zambezi shark known to science (four metres long and weighing between 400 and 500 kilos). The previous known maximum length is about 3.5m
2 The furthest south Zambezis have been found is Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape. Nyami Nyami is the only animal ever observed in the Western Cape, and she is the biggest ever!
3 Nyami Nyami looked heavily pregnant, suggesting the Breede River could be an important nursery
Nyami Nyami was subsequently tracked for 43 consecutive hours. 'As far as we know, this is the longest time this species has been tracked. She moved up and down the estuary, following fishing boats and looking for an easy source of food, swimming as far as 15km upriver,' McCord said.
Bru, put that in your pipe and smoke it. How weird is that? I mean, this is a river that flows through the Cape winelands, passing Tulbagh and Swellendam on its way to the waters east of Cape Agulhas. Classic!
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Bull Sharks Jump Out Of Water In Brisbane River
Bull Sharks Jump Out Of Water In Brisbane River:
"Leaping sharks are no bull"
Sean Baumgart
September 6, 2010
Bull sharks' behaviour baffles scientists.
It's a phenomenon with which Brisbane River boaties are familiar, but scientists are at a loss to explain.
Every year as temperatures rise, bull sharks can be seen leaping from the water and spinning through the air, sparking wonder among spectators and researchers alike.
University of Queensland professor in zoology Craig Franklin says despite up to a thousand bull sharks living in the river winding its way through the state capital, much of their behaviour is a mystery.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Particularly confounding is the sight of the sharks getting air time during warmer months.
It is a spectacle ferry drivers say they catch sight of up to four times a week.
Craig Wilkins, who has spent years on the river as a City Cat master and at the helm of the Kookaburra Queen, says the wide stretch of river at Bulimba is a common spot for the behaviour.
“The warmer the water, the more times you will see them jumping,” he said. As the sun gets up, that's when you will see them jumping.
“About two years ago the river was a little bit cleaner than usual and everybody was seeing them. You ask any City Cat master, they'll say the same thing. They see them jumping all the time.”
As well, their aerials show the sharks are also more active underwater as the river at this time of year.
Sharks found upstream are normally less than 1.5m long and pose little threat to people.
However, dog owners have been warned to keep their pets out of the river at dusk and dawn, when sharks are most active.
There have been numerous reports of dogs being taken from the river's edge and even instances of more ambitious sharks taking on larger prey.
In 2005, Ipswich locals were shocked after a bull shark attacked a race horse being put through its paces in the Brisbane River at Kholo.
The attack came just weeks after a teenager was bitten on the head and finger at Karalee.
One ferry driver recently told of seeing a Chihuahua snapped up in shallow water at the edge of the river and Professor Franklin said small dogs would be attractive to sharks.
“Small snacks like [Chihuahuas] could be within the size range of prey items that a bull shark would take,” he said.
“You wouldn't want to let your dog go for a swim around dusk and dawn. That's when they are most likely to be feeding.”
A “cosmopolitan” creature found in tropical and sub-tropical waterways around the world, the bull shark has long baffled scientists with its behaviour in Indonesia, Thailand, Fiji and Florida.
In some cases they have been observed leaping for bats, but by and large their motive is a mystery, according to Professor Franklin.
“I've got no idea to tell you the truth,” he said. “Whether it's to scare prey out, I've got no idea why they do that.
“I've seen it and it tends to be the small ones.”
City Cat and ferry drivers say they often see it during the long hours they spend on the waterway.
They have even ventured theories on why it happens.
Mr Wilkins said the manoeuvre could be a type of housekeeping.
“My belief is, and I don't know if it is accurate, but my belief is that they are getting rid of parasites and that's why they spin around so fast,” he said.
“That's what we see as we are driving along occasionally is them jumping up and doing a bit of a spin and hitting the water again. They're usually about four foot long and the biggest I've ever seen was about six foot, I guess.”
His theory was echoed by another ferry driver who spoke to brisbanetimes.com.au, but Professor Franklin wasn't sold on the idea.
“I doubt that,” he said. “There are external parasites that they can have, but I've never heard that it's a successful strategy to remove parasites.”
Professor Franklin said it was possible bull sharks were among those filmed feeding on a school of bait fish off Teewah Beach north of Noosa on Friday and were often found in the open ocean.
But he said what set them apart from other species was their ability to survive in fresh water thanks to being able to retain salt in their bodies.
He said the sharks give birth near the mouth of the river, with the 50cm pups heading upstream, where they would live for up to four years until they venture into the ocean in search of larger prey.
“I think to be in a state capital city and to have bull sharks in our waterways is a wonderful thing. They are undoubtedly an incredible animal to have in our waterways,” he said.
Around the world, more fatalities are attributed to bull sharks than any other species.
In the past decade bull sharks have been blamed for deaths in the Gold Coast canal system, and an attack which killed a teenage girl at North Stradbroke Island in 2006.
“You could almost say they are a cosmopolitan shark in that most capital cities are built around river systems, they are circum-global, so right around the globe, so the likelihood of people being injured or killed is higher,” said Professor Franklin.
“But they don't target humans. People need to realise that. They are opportunistic feeders. All we have to do is modify our behaviour and be careful where we swim and the time at which we swim.
“You look at the unfortunate incidents on the Gold Coast in the canals where people were taken and they were swimming around at night time or dusk or dawn.”
"Leaping sharks are no bull"
Sean Baumgart
September 6, 2010
Bull sharks' behaviour baffles scientists.
It's a phenomenon with which Brisbane River boaties are familiar, but scientists are at a loss to explain.
Every year as temperatures rise, bull sharks can be seen leaping from the water and spinning through the air, sparking wonder among spectators and researchers alike.
University of Queensland professor in zoology Craig Franklin says despite up to a thousand bull sharks living in the river winding its way through the state capital, much of their behaviour is a mystery.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Particularly confounding is the sight of the sharks getting air time during warmer months.
It is a spectacle ferry drivers say they catch sight of up to four times a week.
Craig Wilkins, who has spent years on the river as a City Cat master and at the helm of the Kookaburra Queen, says the wide stretch of river at Bulimba is a common spot for the behaviour.
“The warmer the water, the more times you will see them jumping,” he said. As the sun gets up, that's when you will see them jumping.
“About two years ago the river was a little bit cleaner than usual and everybody was seeing them. You ask any City Cat master, they'll say the same thing. They see them jumping all the time.”
As well, their aerials show the sharks are also more active underwater as the river at this time of year.
Sharks found upstream are normally less than 1.5m long and pose little threat to people.
However, dog owners have been warned to keep their pets out of the river at dusk and dawn, when sharks are most active.
There have been numerous reports of dogs being taken from the river's edge and even instances of more ambitious sharks taking on larger prey.
In 2005, Ipswich locals were shocked after a bull shark attacked a race horse being put through its paces in the Brisbane River at Kholo.
The attack came just weeks after a teenager was bitten on the head and finger at Karalee.
One ferry driver recently told of seeing a Chihuahua snapped up in shallow water at the edge of the river and Professor Franklin said small dogs would be attractive to sharks.
“Small snacks like [Chihuahuas] could be within the size range of prey items that a bull shark would take,” he said.
“You wouldn't want to let your dog go for a swim around dusk and dawn. That's when they are most likely to be feeding.”
A “cosmopolitan” creature found in tropical and sub-tropical waterways around the world, the bull shark has long baffled scientists with its behaviour in Indonesia, Thailand, Fiji and Florida.
In some cases they have been observed leaping for bats, but by and large their motive is a mystery, according to Professor Franklin.
“I've got no idea to tell you the truth,” he said. “Whether it's to scare prey out, I've got no idea why they do that.
“I've seen it and it tends to be the small ones.”
City Cat and ferry drivers say they often see it during the long hours they spend on the waterway.
They have even ventured theories on why it happens.
Mr Wilkins said the manoeuvre could be a type of housekeeping.
“My belief is, and I don't know if it is accurate, but my belief is that they are getting rid of parasites and that's why they spin around so fast,” he said.
“That's what we see as we are driving along occasionally is them jumping up and doing a bit of a spin and hitting the water again. They're usually about four foot long and the biggest I've ever seen was about six foot, I guess.”
His theory was echoed by another ferry driver who spoke to brisbanetimes.com.au, but Professor Franklin wasn't sold on the idea.
“I doubt that,” he said. “There are external parasites that they can have, but I've never heard that it's a successful strategy to remove parasites.”
Professor Franklin said it was possible bull sharks were among those filmed feeding on a school of bait fish off Teewah Beach north of Noosa on Friday and were often found in the open ocean.
But he said what set them apart from other species was their ability to survive in fresh water thanks to being able to retain salt in their bodies.
He said the sharks give birth near the mouth of the river, with the 50cm pups heading upstream, where they would live for up to four years until they venture into the ocean in search of larger prey.
“I think to be in a state capital city and to have bull sharks in our waterways is a wonderful thing. They are undoubtedly an incredible animal to have in our waterways,” he said.
Around the world, more fatalities are attributed to bull sharks than any other species.
In the past decade bull sharks have been blamed for deaths in the Gold Coast canal system, and an attack which killed a teenage girl at North Stradbroke Island in 2006.
“You could almost say they are a cosmopolitan shark in that most capital cities are built around river systems, they are circum-global, so right around the globe, so the likelihood of people being injured or killed is higher,” said Professor Franklin.
“But they don't target humans. People need to realise that. They are opportunistic feeders. All we have to do is modify our behaviour and be careful where we swim and the time at which we swim.
“You look at the unfortunate incidents on the Gold Coast in the canals where people were taken and they were swimming around at night time or dusk or dawn.”
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