Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) exploring the Shark Reef in Beqa Lagoon with coral fish (00018318)

Description: The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) has arrived at the Shark Reef in Beqa Lagoon. Together with the tiger shark and the white shark, the bull shark belongs to the 'dangerous sharks' (any animal could be dangerous to humans). It often stays in shallow water near the coast and in the estuaries of rivers. Here in the shallow waters, underwater visibility is severely limited by sand swirls, even with low swell. In estuaries, where fresh water and salt water are mixed, visibility is always poor. During my three years in Richards Bay/Zululand/Natal, I heard of many accidents with the Zambezi shark, as the bull shark is called in this region. A specialty of the bull shark is that it can also live in fresh water. In Africa, Central America, and South America, it is found far inland in lakes and rivers (Zambezi, Mississippi, Amazon, Nicaragua, and Ysabel Lake). The bull shark is a sturdy heavyweight (up to 3.5 meters in length and weighing over 200 kilograms) and is found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. It has a low flight distance and approaches a diver directly and self-confidently. Bull sharks feed on mollusks, rays, crustaceans, bony fish, and other sharks.

Location: Vitu Levu, Beqa Lagoon, Shark Reef/Beqa Lagoon, Fiji

Date of Capture: 07.02.2007