The Bull shark's conservation status is currently 'Near Threatened', as they are widely hunted for their fins, skin, and liver oil. Likewise, due to their predilection for coastal waters, they are particularly susceptible to threats from pollution and habitat degradation.
Over the past couple of years there has been a growing trend of targeting river bull sharks, as they provide great light tackle fun and can be targeted in any of the coastal rivers and estuaries in South East Queensland.
This species has a widespread distribution in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide. In Australia the Bull Shark occurs from south-western, Western Australia, around the northern coastline and down the east coast to the central coast of New South Wales.
Bull sharks are the only species of shark to do this. Pups remain in these areas for up to 4–5 years. In Australia, juvenile bull sharks have been found using the upper river reaches, as far as 110 km from the river mouth in very low salinity environments.
Bull Shark Fishing Seasons Sydney
The best time of the year to catch Bull Shark fish in Sydney is from November through to April. The large male and females bull sharks migrate down form Queensland to hunt and feed.
While many people, in Andy Jones' experience, fish for alligator gar and bull sharks for the excitement that comes with catching hard-fighting fish with mouths full of big teeth, both species are indeed edible and in fact, delicious. Alligator gar have a firm, almost meaty texture and are mild-tasting.
The DPI has tagged more than 250 bull sharks across NSW since 2009, with 87 of the sharks tagged in Sydney Harbour.
When and where do sharks attack? From 2021-2022, New South Wales and Western Australia were the most common states for human/shark interactions in Australia, with 14 cases within each state.
Bull sharks are often considered to be the most dangerous sharks to humans because of their aggressive tendencies and ability to migrate up rivers. However, shark attacks are extremely rare.
The Bull Shark also inhabits fresh water and is considered to be a very dangerous shark because of its aggressive nature and liking for shallow habitats. It has been found thousands of kilometres from the sea in the upper reaches of the Amazon River.
The average length of a bull shark extends to 8 feet maximum but the largest bull shark ever found was 10 feet long and weighed around 1,000 pounds. The weight is equivalent to four full-sized refrigerators while the length is equal to the height of a basketball hoop.
Bull sharks have been known to bump their prey prior to attacking. As such, if you feel something nudge or brush past you in the water, make your way to the shore as quickly and calmly as possible and alert a lifeguard. If a shark heads straight for you, turn and face it while treading in a vertical formation.
Bull sharks can travel long distances in fresh water, with many moving 90 kilometres upriver to places west of Ipswich. Luckily the weir at Mt Crosby stopped the sharks going further as they cannot traverse the fish ladder.
Bondi Beach, Australia
Most of the attacks have taken place off the coast of New South Wales, the state where Bondi Beach is located.
The International Shark Attack File estimates that Florida has the most shark attacks worldwide each year. The location of New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County is where a disproportionate amount of them take place. According to ISAF data, 303 shark attacks have occurred without warning.
While bull sharks excel in bite force and adaptability to different water types, great whites possess superior speed and size. With their incredible speed, size, and strength, great white sharks would have the advantage in a head-to-head encounter with bull sharks.
Worldwide, just three species of sharks – out of more than 500 – have been responsible for most of the unprovoked fatal attacks on humans. They are the tiger shark, white shark and this one – the bull shark. It's the smallest of the three as a fully grown adult but, most experts agree, the most dangerous to people.
Bull sharks are a large coastal species that use estuarine habitats as a nursery for their young. They typically grow to a length of 7 to 11 feet and a weight of 200 to 500 pounds and usually live to about 16 years of age. These resilient creatures can survive in a variety of habitats.
Most attacks world-wide happen between 8.00 am and 6.00 pm and mostly on weekend during the warmer seasons of the year. This has not so much to do with shark behaviour though but everything with human behaviour since these are the times when most people are spending time in the water.
Sydney beaches will reopen today after fatal shark attack
Great white sharks have been responsible for all fatal New South Wales shark attacks for the past two years, with the state clocking the highest number of attacks in the nation over this period.
The Australian Shark-Incident Database has recorded that between 1791 and April 2018 there were 237 fatal shark attacks in Australia. In the two years of 2020 and 2021 there were 11 fatal shark attacks in Australia.
“By tagging and tracking bull shark in Sydney Harbour since 2009, we have found that bull sharks utilise all areas of Sydney Harbour from Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers to Middle and North Harbour. “ What should you look out for? “There is no one trigger to indicate the possible presence of a shark.
Australia is home to a shark-infested lake with a population of bull sharks. Despite being completely unexpected, there is a 52-acre lake in the center of the idyllic Carbrook golf course, which is home to its population of bull sharks.
A4.5-metre white shark attacked and killed a swimmer on the beach of Little Bay in Sidney, Australia, with the deadly attack being witnessed by several people and recorded on camera. Witnesses heard the swimmer's terrified screams, but they could do nothing to save the life of the 35-year-old man from Wolli Creek.