Bull Shark

Sharks may not be the first animal you think of when you think about Louisiana’s coastal swamps and marshes, but these black-tipped fish are relatively common. Unlike other types of sharks, bull sharks can survive in freshwater bodies for a good bit of time, and they’ve even been found in the Mississippi River as far north as St. Louis. Bull sharks encounter humans more than other species of sharks, mostly because they prefer shallow bodies of water, including shallow estuaries and beach shorelines. But have no fear, attacks on humans by bull sharks aren’t common. Bull sharks prefer fish and the plethora of shellfish found in the Gulf of Mexico. However, due to the sharks’ affinity for fresh and shallow water, they are increasingly at risk of pollution and habitat degradation and are listed as near threatened.