Can a Shark Swim 2,485 Miles Inland? Meet the River’s Boldest Predator

Govind Tekale

Bull sharks navigate 1,000+ miles up the Mississippi River, adapting from ocean saltwater to freshwater through specialized kidney and gill functions.

Photo Source- Daniel/Dan Eidsmoe (CC BY 2.0)

Two commercial fishermen caught an 85-pound bull shark in Alton, Illinois - 1,740 miles from its Gulf of Mexico habitat in 1937.

Meet the River’s Boldest Predator

Photo Source- ume-y (CC BY 2.0)

Scientists Shell and Gardner's research confirms bull sharks reach Alton, Illinois, making them the only shark species regularly moving between salt and fresh waters.

Photo Source- Daniel Kwok (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Bull sharks range up to 11 feet long, weigh up to 697 pounds, and rank third in global attacks on humans behind Great Whites and Tigers.

Meet the River’s Boldest Predator

Photo Source- Daniel Kwok (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Professional shark divers reveal bull sharks bite humans primarily due to poor visibility in murky waters rather than intentional hunting.

Photo Source- ume-y (CC BY 2.0)

The 1916 New Jersey shark attacks that inspired "Jaws" likely involved bull sharks, as one attack occurred miles upriver where only bull sharks venture.

Meet the River’s Boldest Predator

Photo Source- Daniel Kwok (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Bull sharks survive river journeys by recycling salt through their bodies, reaching as far as 2,485 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean.

Photo Source- Berthold Grünhagen (Pexels)

Australia's Carbrook Golf Club counted 12 bull sharks in its 52-acre lake as of 2020, after a 1990s flood trapped them near the 14th green.

Meet the River’s Boldest Predator

Photo Source- Daniel Kwok (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Bull sharks face near-threatened status from hunting and habitat loss, with average lifespans of 16 years in the wild and up to 32 in captivity.

Photo Source- Ignati (Flicker)