Bull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassElasmobranchii
- OrderCarcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
- FamilyCarcharhinidae (Requiem Sharks)
- GenusCarcharhinus (Typical Requiem Sharks)
- SpeciesCarcharhinus leucas (Bull Shark)
About the Bull Shark
The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. It is known for its aggressive nature, and presence mainly in warm, shallow brackish and freshwater systems including estuaries and (usually) lower reaches of rivers. Their aggressive nature has led to ongoing shark-culling efforts near beaches to protect beachgoers, which is one of the causes of bull shark populations continuing to decrease. Bull sharks are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Bull sharks are euryhaline and can thrive in both salt and fresh water. They are known to travel far up rivers, and have been known to travel up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Illinois, about 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) from the ocean, but few freshwater interactions with humans have been recorded. Larger-sized bull sharks are responsible for a large part of nearshore shark attacks, and may be responsible for many attacks involving unidentified species.
Unlike the river sharks of the genus Glyphis, bull sharks are not true freshwater sharks, despite their ability to survive in freshwater habitats. This shark appears in the image of the 2000 colones banknote from Costa Rica. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Cabo Pulmo National Park
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Bull Shark in Cabo Pulmo National Park?
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Bull Shark sighting in Cabo Pulmo National Park, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Bull Shark in Cabo Pulmo National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Bull Shark in Cabo Pulmo National Park in our monthly data.