Bull sharks are earning reputation as villains

By TERRY TOMALIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 22, 2001

LAKE WORTH INLET -- Snorkeling among hundreds of snook at twilight in a pass that empties into the Atlantic Ocean could be considered a high risk.

Sharks feed at night. They especially like river mouths and passes. Why? Because like most predators, sharks exert as little energy as possible when searching for prey.

Just as a water hole in the middle of the African savannah will bring food to a lion, the outgoing tide delivers sharks an easy meal.

Much has been written about sharks in recent weeks since an 8-year-old boy was attacked by a bull shark on Florida's Panhandle.

The attack, and it was an attack, not a case of mistaken identity, could have been avoided. The majority of shark encounters in Florida involve surfers who are hit as they paddle through a pod of baitfish, trying to catch a wave.

The sharks, which are usually small "fish eaters," mistake the surfer's hand or foot for food. They hit it, realize it is not their normal food source, let go and swim away. The surfer paddles in, sees the trademark "smile/frown" wound, gets 15 stitches and tells one heck of a fish story.

However, in some areas, such as Northern California and Australia, a case of mistaken identity could have much graver consequences. Surfers in those climes must deal with the dreaded white shark. And even though the white shark may mistake the surfer for a seal or sea lion, the subsequent tissue and blood loss can often prove fatal.

But the Panhandle attack is a different story.

The shark in question, a 250-pound bull shark, doesn't make mistakes. This beast feeds on anything that moves ... even members of its own kind.

The species is responsible for the majority of fatalities in Florida and most tropical waters. Two years ago, a bull shark attacked two men training for a triathlon near Pensacola. The swimmers were relatively lucky; one man lost an arm, but at least they escaped with their lives.

Others were not so fortunate. Last summer, a swimmer was killed in Boca Ciega Bay. In 1998, a 9-year-old boy was killed by a bull shark on Florida's east coast. In 1988, a bull shark killed a man in the waters off Bay County. And in 1982, a man was killed in Tampa Bay as he swam between Anna Maria Island and Egmont Key.

The bull shark's reputation as a villain is well deserved. Because it can live for some time in fresh water, bull sharks are often found far up rivers.

Bull sharks have been documented 2,300 miles from the sea in the upper Amazon. They have been found in the Mississippi and the Ganges rivers of India, where the sharks frequently attack pilgrims participating in religious ceremonies. In Central America's Lake Nicaragua, the bull shark is feared by fishermen who have seen plenty a comrade fall prey to the animal's iron jaws.

So what can you do to avoid this maneater?

Very little.

There have been reports of scuba divers who have used their tanks to ward off aggressive bull sharks. But swimmers, snorkelers and surfers can do little except exercise common sense.

Avoid swimming in estuaries, such as Tampa Bay, during peak bull shark season (summer). Don't swim at night. Avoid murky water.

Experts say you stand a better chance of being hit by a tornado or a bolt of lightning or dying from a bee sting than being killed by a shark.

But then again, those experts don't snorkel with hundreds of snook at twilight in a pass that empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

So look over your shoulder as you swim back to the boat and keep an eye for that telltale fin.

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