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SPECIES PROFILE
Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
Carcharhinus
IUCN STATUS
Vulnerable
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable
CLASS
Chondrichthyes
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Tropical and subtropical coasts worldwide; in Mexico present in Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean coast, and up river systems
DIET
Carnivore
HABITAT
Shallow coastal marine water, estuaries, river mouths, and freshwater rivers and lakes up to 3,700 km inland
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Chondrichthyes
ORDER
Carcharhiniformes
FAMILY
Carcharhinidae
GENUS
Carcharhinus
📋 Description
SIZE
2.1–3.4 m; 90–230 kg; females larger than males
COLORATION
Heavy-bodied grey shark with a blunt rounded snout; white below; no distinctive markings; second dorsal fin noticeably smaller than first
ADAPTATIONS
Osmoregulation system allows entry into freshwater rivers and lakes — unique among large sharks; highly territorial and aggressive; ambush predator in turbid water
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Shallow coastal marine water, estuaries, river mouths, and freshwater rivers and lakes up to 3,700 km inland
DIET
Carnivore
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Tropical and subtropical coasts worldwide; in Mexico present in Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean coast, and up river systems
REPRODUCTION
Viviparous; 1–13 pups per litter after 10–11 month gestation; young born in estuaries used as nurseries; late maturity at 8–10 years
DIET DETAILS
Fish, stingrays, sea turtles, dolphins, and nearly anything edible; an opportunistic top predator
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Overfishing for fins (shark fin soup); bycatch; coastal habitat loss; slow reproductive rate
💡 Interesting Facts
1
The Bull Shark is considered by marine biologists to be the shark most dangerous to humans — it hunts in murky shallow water where people wade, and has the highest testosterone levels of any animal.
2
Bull Sharks can survive indefinitely in freshwater through remarkable kidney and gill adaptations; they have been caught 3,700 km up the Amazon and have been found in Lake Nicaragua for decades.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, has organised Bull Shark dives from November to March when aggregations form offshore
Nichupté Lagoon near Cancún, Quintana Roo, is known Bull Shark habitat in shallow brackish lagoon water
Veracruz reef system near Veracruz city has Bull Sharks in the murky coastal waters year-round
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Year-round in coastal Veracruz and Tabasco waters; freshwater individuals documented in rivers and lakes; dive operators near Cancún run bull shark dives.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
November to March for bull shark aggregation dives near Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo; coastal Veracruz has year-round bull sharks in murky nearshore water.
