The Bull Shark is the only species of shark that could potentially live in the Great Lakes waters. Petty Officer Richard Stanberry with the United States Coast Guard told us the Guard receives reports of sharks, alligators, and other pets being put into the lake, but assures you no attacks have been reported. While eels have the ability to shut down their bodies and essentially go dormant in cold waters, its believed that bull sharks dont have the same skill. The surfer took a punch at the shark, which circled back after the initial bite and came at the teen, Bellone said. Theyve been overfished, like other plummeting shark populations worldwide, but their biggest threat is accidental capture in fisheries targeting other species, according to Oceana. A bull shark attacked a 7-year-old boy swimming in Lake Pontchartrain in 2014. Pro Tip: Dont let the creatures of Lake Michigan stop you from some amazing campgrounds. Via the Mississippi river. Lake Michigan is a freshwater lake, the 3rd largest Lake in North America, approximately 118 miles max-width (91 miles min-width) and 307 miles long. They also inhabit mangrove swamps and are known to swim upstream in rivers and even travel long distances inland to reach freshwater lakes. It has a maximum length of 100 Miles and a maximum width of 44.1 miles. Bull shark in Lake Michigan caught on camera? - YouTube A number of people have asked us about that. It isnt impossible, but it is a rare thing to happen. Other bull shark sightings in unlikely areas lack the same kind of proof. Shark bites this month have been reported much farther north. Still, the likelihood of a shark encounter in freshwater is low, experts said. Safety First: Sharks In Lake Michigan. They have even been found in the Mississippi and Amazon Rivers. Every time you pay federal taxes, youre contributing to these lands. Itll often kill any fish it latches onto. It is important to know how to respond to strong currents so you do not drown in the cold waters. The salt concentration is lower than that of the ocean, but higher than freshwater. Consider this report in 2008 of a dead two-foot long juvenile black-tip shark (not even a bull shark) found near Traverse City, Michigan by a fisherman. You will find affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Although conceivable, bull shark claims that far north are probably justanother April Fools joke. Another theory is that someone was keeping it as a pet and it died, so they dumped the body in the lake. If you enjoyed this article, you can also check out our pages on thresher shark facts and are there penguins in the North Pole? Bull sharks have been discovered up to 1,000 miles deep into the Mississippi, but the waters are much warmer than those found in the Great Lakes. Like all predatory animals, muskies are largely opportunists, and so might try to eat anything if they are hungry enough. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. This anecdotal story is of a Wisconsin man who was dipping his foot over the side of his canoe. The biggest concern for people planning to swim in this lake is not a bull shark attack, but how to deal with the dangerous riptides! However, Lake Michigan is a large freshwater lake located in the northern United States, far from the typical habitats of bull sharks. They attach themselves to other fish with a sucker-like mouth and feed on their blood, often causing significant damage and even death to their hosts. Another point against bull sharks making it to Lake Michigan is the extreme difficulty. But their tail may resemble some species of shark. From what we have discussed, the chances of a shark being in the Great Lakes is very low. In the Great Lakes, the fish are much smaller than the typical prey that sharks hunt for in the ocean. In terms of water chemistry, Lake Michigan has a relatively low salinity compared to the ocean, with an average salt concentration of around 0.1%. They have specialized kidneys that can recycle salt trapped within the kidneys. Though bull sharks have been spotted in the Mississippi River, which joins Lake Michigan, they most likely do not make their way to the actual lake from the ocean because of the presence of locks and dams which make this journey tricky. This is over 2,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and is comparable to a bull shark that once swam 2,500 miles up the Amazon River. In conclusion, the question of whether bull sharks live in Lake Michigan remains unanswered. We can look to the American eel for an example of a saltwater fish caught far from home. Earlier this month, an angler fishing in the Florida Keys who was bitten by a 6-foot-long lemon shark as he tried to remove a hook from its mouth was airlifted to a Miami hospital. Could There Actually Be Bull Sharks in the Midwest? They are apex predators that dont mature until theyre around 15 or 20 years old. This then causes cells in the animals body to burst, which then results in the shark dying. I grew up swimming on the white sand beaches of Lake Michigan, and it seems like Ive known the answer to this question since I was in the womb. There havent been any reports of any sharks in Lake Michigan. It is the largest Lake in Central America and the 19th Largest Lake in the world, with a size of 3,191 square miles. The main theory is someone caught the shark in the Atlantic Ocean, then kept it on ice and dumped it in Lake Michigan. Found in lakes and rivers, this shark only returns to the sea to breed. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. For one thing, lock-and-dam systems on the Mississippi could stop sharks from swimming farther inland, Ryan Shell, a paleontologist for the U.S. Forest Service, told The Alton (Illinois) Telegraph. There was a sighting of a bull shark in Deep Creek Lake in Maryland in 1983, though similar incidents have not been reported since then. These creatures do not attack humans, instead preferring to go after different fish. These sharks would also have to pass the infamous electric barrier constructed on the Illinois waterway, near Chicago, which keeps away invasive species from entering the ecosystem of the Great Lakes. Bull sharks are commonly found in estuaries, where freshwater rivers meet the ocean, and in coastal areas such as bays and lagoons. [confirmed!] A shark jawbone found in the Mississippi River in Northern Minnesota in 2017 turned out to be from a sand shark, which cant survive in freshwater and was most likely dumped there by a pet owner or prankster. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. ACROSS AMERICA If you think sharks are a marvel or menace in the world's oceans only, youre wrong, according to a leading shark expert. Swimming in Lake Michigan is not dangerous because of the aquatic animals that live in the lake, instead it is the water currents that can drag people deep into the lake. AP: Lake Superior Bull Shark Eradicated by Duluth Autonomous Navy There have been multiple reports of bull shark sightings in Lake Michigan for years and years. But there are things boaters. Such as smaller shakers or large bony fish. When it comes to freshwater, there arent many positives for sharks. It is relatively shallow compared to other great lakes, with an average depth of around 85 meters, and is connected to Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac. In Lake Michigan, as with most shark species, the most active months . There have been no instances of people being attacked by bull sharks in Lake Michigan waters, and any shark sightings have been theorized to be lake sturgeon fish instead. Are There Any Sharks In Lake Michigan? Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. These swarms have not been described as very dangerous, as piranhas do not usually attack humans as represented in the media. You can find bull sharks in coastal waters throughout the world, including the East Coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico. Without it, most would probably write off the story as another example of fishermen stretching the truth. This blooming is when the toxins are produced. While studying economics at Fergusson College, Pune, India, she got more opportunities to learn details of content creation. The varied names stem from the many habitats in which the bull shark resides. Then on top of that, they would have to deal with the issues and stresses of being in freshwater and the lack of salt. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. The lake has a surface area of over 58,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. The account to which you refer doesnt have much going for it. When it comes to Bull Sharks, it is known that they hunt for quite large prey. Some article headlines sensationalize creatures such as pirhanna showing up in Lake Michigan only to quietly state at the end that they havent actually been found there. Continuing her passion for writing, she accepted the role of a content creator, where she wrote articles on an array of topics. (https://youtu.be/-ic8qv-zFus). When I worked for the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, it was inevitable that every summer Id get approached by people asking about sharks in the Missouri River. If youve never dived with sharks before, then we urge you to try it. Though there have been many shark sightings in Lake Michigan, Phillip Willink, a well-respected biologist at the local Shedd . However, these creatures are quite dangerous to the environment because they are an invasive species. It is also a well-mixed lake, meaning that water from the surface mixes with water from the bottom, resulting in relatively consistent water temperatures throughout the lake. Phil Willink, a previous Senior Research Scientist at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, says, [The bull shark] is able to control the salt and other compounds in its blood, to maintain a balance with the water thats around it, and is able to move back and forth between freshwater and saltwater. Today, were investigating the most dangerous creatures in Lake Michigan. 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