A bull shark can swim in fresh water as well as in the salty sea. It can swim up a river from the sea. It lives in shallow water near the coast, in bays, estuaries, rivers and lakes.
Bull sharks live in warm coastal water around the world. They are usually found in water less than 30 metres deep.
A bull shark mother gives birth to live pups. She has between 1 and 13 pups at a time. In the Gulf of Mexico, bull shark pups are born from April to June. Each pup is born able to swim on its own. A newborn bull shark pup is about 55 to 80 centimetres long.
How big does a bull shark get? Female bull sharks are bigger than male bull sharks. As of November 2026, the most a bull shark is reported to weigh is 316.5 kilograms. The longest reported was 400 centimetres long.
A bull shark does not eat just one thing. It eats many kinds of food, such as fish, rays, crabs and squid. A bull shark usually hunts alone. Its upper teeth are triangles with jagged edges.
Where do young bull sharks grow up? Often in river mouths and bays. The water there is not very salty. A pup is born able to swim on its own.
Words to know
- pup: baby shark
- fresh: not salty
- estuaries: river mouths
