Miercoles Megafauna: Bull Shark

Common Name: Bull shark

 

Latin Name: Carcharhinus leucas

 

Where you can see them here:  In Bull Shark season here in Playa (Usually November thru February) the site for the Shark Dive is Jardines Deep(or Tiberon Flats). They cruise around at 20 metres deep in a large group feeding and breeding, only 5 minutes off the beach! At this time you might be lucky enough to spot one or two on all of our sites. Imagine seeing one on you first Discover Dive or your Open Water course! Out of season they stay deeper so Pared Verde is a good place to spot the odd Bull Shark.

 

How to identify them: The name, “bull shark”, comes from the shark’s stocky shape and broad, flat snout. These are big sharks measuring between 7 and 12 feet long (2 to 3.5 metres) If you come on the Bull Shark dive these are the sharks which will pass very close to you, so are hard to miss!

 

What you may not know about them:  Every report about Bull Sharks suggests they may be more dangerous to humans than any other species of shark, and, along with tiger sharks and great white sharks, are among the three shark species most likely to attack humans.

Now, Bull sharks will eat fish, dolphins, rays, turtles, seabirds, molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans, even other sharks and virtually any other animal. But in our experience in Playa, not divers!

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