One day, while free diving with a friend, the largest Bull shark I have ever seen swam under us. The problem was that we were a half-mile from the beach and Bull sharks are the most aggressive type of shark in the world. Luckily, for us, he wasn't hungry at the time and slowly swam away after a few tense moments of observation.
The Bull, Tiger, and Great White are considered the top three sharks most likely to attack humans. Growing up to 11.5 feet in length and weighing up to 500 pounds coupled with the Bull shark's very aggressive behavior means it can be extremely dangerous if a person happens to unknowingly enter into its territory or cross its path.
Although sharks are commonly known to hunt individually, I have two friends who have been SCUBA diving and seen three Bull sharks hunting as a pack in both instances (in Galveston, Texas and Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands). When the first two sharks passed my friend, diving off of Jost Van Dyke, the third one, bringing up the rear of their formation, took a bite at one of his fins. Luckily, the shark continued after its companions who were chasing a large school of fish.
The Bull shark is unique in that it is commonly seen throughout the world swimming in fresh water. Sightings and attacks have occurred in the most improbable locations such as Lake Nicaragua, 2,200 miles up the Amazon River in Peru, near St. Louis in the Mississippi River, and in Lake Michigan off the coast of Chicago. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, there were numerous sightings of Bull sharks in Lake Ponchartrain. If a river or inland body of water connects with the open ocean, there is always a possibility that Bulls could investigate and appear where it is least expected.
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