I can see bull sharks in michigan. The food source is there not to mention the sheer size of the small ocean (michigan lake). Plus if the shaks hug the bottom durring winter season the temp would be liveable…..

On May 18th, 2009 Animal Planet’s, “River Monsters,” showed that not only are Bull Sharks surviving, but they are thriving in the world’s fresh water lakes and rivers. An infant shark was captured up river proving that a fresh water breeding colony exists, at least in Australia. This particular river had a dam cutting it off from the ocean, so the little devil didn’t swim up there. The sharks have been known to attack people and horses. A trainer was giving his racehorse a swim when a large shark attempted to have it for lunch, tight there in the river. What disturbs me are the reports from Lake Michigan. Was 1955 a particuarly warm year?

I Live by Lake Michigan what worries me is they always say that sharks can adapt to any kind of waters and how long before they adapt tothe cold? Makes me think twice about swimming at night.

I live near Muskegon. A couple of years ago some fisherman caught two large piranha in Muskegon lake. There was a picture of one of them in the Muskegon Chronicle Newspaper. They apparently were able to survive the winter due to the warm water discharge from the electricity generating plant located by the lake. Muskegon lake connects to lake Michigan with a decent sized channel. I’m 66 years old and don’t go swimming. Now I do not feel at all comfortable about my children taking my grand children, and my nieces and nephew’s children swimming in any connecting waters to the Great Lakes

I live in Kenosha and almost never swim in lake Michigan, now I don’t think I’ll let my kids swim in the lake. And is the Wisconsin DNR nuts or what for catching and releasing a female Bull shark in lake Peppin!!! They breed more sharks, I understand the research part of it but this is not a native species so catch and release is not an option for me, safety 1st research 2nd. Better to be bit in the toe by a muskee than to have it bitten off or worse by a Bull shark.

I just watched yesterday a show called River Monsters, I love the show he goes around the world and shows different fish (monsters of sorts) from all sorts of rivers and areas that you never knew existed, some are deadly. Yesterday I watched the freshwater shark episode quite scary. They showed the horse attached part in australia and some others. Basically he confirmed that they are breeding and staying in our river system (obviously top of the food chain). My big beef is the same as Scott’s post from yesterday this guy caught a 3 foot 18mo bullshark which confirmed the breeding, and then he let it go back in water. Hey so it can grow to 8 – 10ft and attack someone??? I don’t get it either, get the darn things out of the water period they are not an endangered species and are not in their element, plus it can cause damage to the river eco systems between that and other non native fish pretty soon there maybe nothing left, and no safe waters anywhere!!!

Just watched River Monsters too, plus saw the episode of Monster Quest on the History Channel where they were looking for Bull Sharks in LA. I’m telling you, in another 20-30 years, we will have sharks fully acclimated to living in the Great Lakes.

Lake Michigan Waters are pretty safe. 1 Bull shark attack over 60 years ago? I have fond memeories of playing on the beach. With all the people fishing no sharks have been captured? Piranhas? Kids are more likely to drown than get bitten or eaten by either species. Buses, driving, going to the store, heck nowadays sending our kids to school is more dangerous. It’s like any other activity be ATTENTIVE to your kids. Know where they are, what they are doing and who they are with especially in public and when swimming at a beach.

All very valid points, especially that for the most part, there are bigger dangers. However, Ammie, until recently Michigan didn’t have a coyote problem either (or lampreys until about fifty years ago.)

Why was the Lake Peppin Bull Shark not mentioned in the show River Monsters? According to them sightings have been only up to St. Louis. I duck hunt there and it’s kinda chilling now to think that a shark was caught there. And what is wrong with WI DNR? Everyday I realize more that this is one crooked state organization.

I have swam in lake michigan eErie, Superior Ontariofor 50 years ,never ever have i ever run into any thng but a alewife.

We’re scared we are going to get attacked by a bull shark while in Lake Michigan. It’s starting to freak us out! /:

- By the way, Quit fighting over spelling and other stuff. This is not the right place [or] time. We are worried about sharks near us not spelling!

I grew up living along the hudson river in Ny. state. I lived about 60 miles north of Ny. Harbor right on the river. We always had bull sharks in the water there. They fed on the fish and rats at the rivers edge. People would leave garbage along the river bank, attracting the rats and the sharks. We were always reminded in school that there where sharks in the river. Kids and adults would be along the river edge in the shallow water and “bump” a shark. I do not know of anyone ever being bitten, im sure someone has. Sunset and night time were the dangerous times for the sharks. A bull shark is not a discriminate eater, it will eat anything it can get its mouth on! Garbage, rats, fish, people. In freshwater they are as dangerous as they are in the ocean. If its a connecting river to the ocean, and there are no dams or barriers, chances are good that there is, was, or will be a bull shark in the water.

I think bull sharks are amazing creatures.
They have an organ that help controle how much salt they get, hence how they can live in fresh water.
p.s. even fresh water has salt in it.

As regards Bull Sharks: Could we be seeing evolution and adaptation? Could it be that evolution is not always a slow process?

F irst off we are in there enviornment, who are we to say where sharks are suppose to be and where there not suppose to be. When you get into any body of water you are out of your element.. the waters dont belong to us humans or god would have made us fish. We have no right to complain if we are bitten or attacked in any body of water. The waters of the world are hunting and eating grounds for the fish, sharks, whales,ect.ect. Thats where they live so thats where they eat. So remember when we decide to venture out to the water next time think of this as you are entering the feeding grounds of all that lives in the water.With out the residents of the worlds waters we most likely would not survive either. Yes i agree some attacks are horrible…but its the chance you take when you leave your enviornment and enter theirs

I have read every single post prior to my own and have done a good bit of research on the subject of bull sharks. I have come across much information that would suggest that in fact the chances of bull sharks currently existing in a fresh water lake such as Lake Michigan are pretty good actually. Bull sharks prefer to survive in shallow water breeding and reproducing in the shallowest parts of the water they inhabit. Now I understand that dams have been put in place to protect against them making their way too far up river to the lake but lets face it people where there is a will there is most surely always a way. As has been pointed out by several the worlds climate is changing. Every year our winters get warmer and shorter and the waters are getting higher on the planet because our ice caps are melting. This would also mean that areas that were once too cold for certain creatures may no longer be so. Lets also not forget that in fact that bull shark is obviously built being capable of surviving in fresh water. Why then should anyone who knows anything about them be surprised by the possibility that they could possibly be found in Lake Michigan?

I believe entirely that it is possible and because of that think that though people should not entirely expect to encounter a bull shark in the lakes waters they too should not dismiss the possible chance of it either. Rather they should literally tread water with a bit of caution keeping in mind that all the way at he beginning the water to the lake is in fact connected to the ocean where a breed of shark dwells that is capable of making it to and existing in the waters of that lake. If by chance the shark population becomes obvious it will happen suddenly and I am quite sure quite publicly as well. That is not to say however that we should just hold our breaths and wait til someone looses their life. There will be other signs I am sure that the animals have taken up full residence in the lake as there are when say a snake head fish takes up residence in a pond in a small town. Things start to change some. We shouldn’t fear it though and should not worry at all.

To the remark that was made by some to the effect that they can not understand why someone would re-release a shark back into a river because it isn’t its natural habitat I would have to beg to differ. If in fact the shark was small enough to be proven to be born there then in fact it was in its natural habitat just as we are considered to be in our own habitat when we move into a new home and have a baby there. Saying that because you rent your home rather than own it doesn’t make your home any less your habitat. If these animals have adapted to the habitat then there is a reason for it and we humans would do better to not be so ignorant as to tell the universe to stop making changes in something that we don’t like. It isn’t a choice we have. We do not have the right to decide how a species is allowed to adapt. Maybe its their time to do so. Maybe this change has been coming on for them for eons. None of us really knows for sure. It would be the same as me telling you that you need to stop reproducing because your future bloodline do not need to be around when say we have finally reached the ability to beam from earth to another planet in the blink of an eye because your blood line is just not intelligent enough to survive to then. Here is how we humans have made the mistakes that have have caused so many species of animals to become extinct at our hands or are now endangered for the same reason. We are ignorant about what we do not understand and don’t care to learn.

All this said please understand that if in fact bull sharks have made it to a fresh water area and are thriving there it may just be the evolutionary time for this species to change and adapt to survive the changing climate. Every age in history has evolutionary changes so that creatures, even humans, can adapt to survive. Just let it be and learn how to co-exist with them if its the case responsibly so that they and we can live together with as few tragic happenings as possible. That is about all I have to say on this. Hope it helps and sorry it was so long. I love nature and am passionate especially about sharks. They are beautiful and HIGHLY misunderstood creatures. Bye all.

A few facts to alleviate worries:

1. Bull sharks can and do live in fresh water indefinitely, but they need water temps at a minimum of roughly 68 F (20 C) to survive long-term. This probably explains why St. Louis is the published northern boundary of the bull shark’s range. Any sharks that venture further north and get trapped behind the locks are probably doomed come winter.

2. Only a small fraction of the water mass at the surface of lake Michigan ever gets this warm, and this is only briefly, in the late summer months.

3. In the winter, the average water temps throughout the water column drops into the 30s. Water reaches maximum density at 39 F, and the surface water in the winter is close to 32, if not frozen. Therefore, the bottom waters are at best as “warm” as 39, and the water gets colder as you move up.

4. While the lock systems of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers do create a navigable (defined as minimum 9′ deep by the Army Corps of Engineers) connection to the lower Mississippi, where bull sharks are common, it’s pretty unlikely that any fish would make it through dozens of locks into lake Michigan in the period of a few months. They would have to hitch a ride with boats/ships as they go through each of the locks, and most fish, including sharks, are afraid of boat motors.

5. There is currently an electric field barrier operating on the Illinois river to prevent exotic species (Asian big head carp in particular) from entering lake Michigan.

6. Global warming will not likely raise the average temp in lake Michigan by more than a few degrees in the worst case.

So, in a nutshell, a bull shark would have to make its way into Lake Michigan during late summer, against great odds, and it would probably not survive the winter.

If you live to be 1,000 and swim in lake Michigan every day, you’ll probably never have the thrill of meeting a shark.

Enjoy the water…

-J

I think the whole shark thing is pretty crazy. Even though it is possible it could happen. You probably have a one in a million chane of getting bitten or even seeing one in Lake Mighigan, because I go swimming in Lake Mighigan almost every week of the summer. I won’t be worrying if I were you.

I have been on in and around the big lake all of my life and it wasn’t until recently I even knew about this phenomenon. Lake Michigan, except in the fall, does not have the congregations of fish that you find in rivers or the ocean. Which leads me to believe a shark would have a hard time foraging for food in the great lakes.

Sharks are one of the oldest species on earth and have been making the trek here for a lot longer than the past 50 or so years. If they found the lake so appealing my charter boat would be much bigger and would sport a half dozen yellow barrels on the foredeck.

I have been fishing in these waters since the first down riggers were invented. I have never known of any one loosing tackle or downrigger hardware to any unknown underwater hazard. Sharks are known to be attracted to noise metal and flashy objects. All of which are prevalent to down rigger fishing.

I think this is another oddity footnote for a very unique body of water.

P.S I would be more afraid of the lamprey, snapping turtles, “they do drift out of the rivers time to time” same goes for some really big rats, and man eating sturgeon. There, now maybe my family and I can have the beach to our selves……..

On the contrary I say , to those who feel we should accept the bite of a shark in fresh water lakes or rivers . If a Pit Bull kills someone , do we allow that act to go unpunished ? No … the animal is destroyed . ( Cross referencing ) , the excuse that the Bull shark is living in it’s environment or has adapted to ours now sounds quite weak . So we should just accept the intrusion of Bull sharks into our fresh water tributaries w/o question or second thought ? You may say that the shark has only one thing on it’s mind ( feeding ) while the Pit Bull does not & to this I will agree w/ you … but , leniency because of adaptation to fresh water tributaries isn’t holding it’s weight w/ me . I call this an intrusive species & feel actions to prevent it from getting further out of hand is the only call to make . Putting this species of shark right in there w/ the likes of Zebra Mussels , Asian Carp , Snake Heads , etc , etc . Look what lax attitudes like yours have caused considering these species ! Also , if you notice your child screaming for their life while being bitten by one of these sharks while swimming in any fresh water lake or river , will you accept it & feel that it is just a natural act of that species of fish which has learned to adapt to fresh water ? I feel these fresh water intruders should be treated as vermin if found in areas that they haven’t previously inhabited . Are the oceans not big enough areas for them to live in ? Let’s hope they don’t adapt further & get to where they no longer need water to breathe … Then walking down the street won’t be safe for us or our children . ( Yes I know ) , but I couldn’t resist the temptation to kick you in the seat of your super relaxed backsides !!!

i agree with u and these sharks wouldn’t want to live up in the great lakes the water is to cold. they need some salt in there water and there’s barely any at all in the great lakes. i live near lake Huron and it’s so cold i barely wanna go in the water so I’m pretty sure that a shark that is use to really warm water wouldn’t want to be living in lake Michigan plus the lakes freeze in the winter they would die off it would be too cold for them. i have seen the river monsters show about fresh water sharks and the shark that was way up like 70 miles it was down in florida the water is still warm get real people its too cold in Michigan.

back to august 7th 09 post #27 from lisa. piranha cross breeding with bluegill, can this really happen? early 90’s baldwin lake, greenville MI. young bluegill 2-5 inches were “nipping” swimmers and leaving an abrasion. is this normal behavior? beyond behavior i don’t remember bluegill having teeth or an abrasive mouth. the fish that hung out by the beach were constantly following swimmers staying 2 or 3 feet away. as soon as you quit moving they’d nail you. at the time greenville had two pet stores, almost right across the street from each other. both selling piranha, gators, snakes and so on, both cutting prices to the point an 11 year old with a paper route could afford to get a couple of “killer fish” that got boring after a couple weeks. i’m sure some of them went inthe lake. we’ve got alot of boneheads around here, 2005 or 06 edmore had a 4ft alligator in the parks pond. i’m not sure how fast gators grow, but i know it was a pet for atleast a few years. again the “owner” probobly lost intrest and didn’t notice an escape route. or worse this person may have released it intentionally. nobody claimed the gator,the guy who caught it sure was proud though. now if we run the same sinario with a shark it would be national news. give me a minuite to explain. if a guy had a truck an aquairium(55gal)or two and knew someone in new york or jersy that had access to bull shark pups (they are only about 2 1/2ft) he could have one at his house in about 15 hours. set up a 10 or 12ft pool in the basement and feed it whatever. they grow about a foot a year. so in 3 years when him and his buddys are recording the highlights of thier fishing trip on lake michigan and he pulls in a bull shark thats almost 6 feet long(that was just tossed overthe other side) he’ll know thats what every abc,cbs,nbc and cnn are going to be running for the next week but if this guy pulled up a broken line, oh boy

wow, all i have to say is this is very intresting!

and also i have lived by Lake michigan for about 4 years and been swimmin day and night and ive never had any problems with any of this stuff!!!!

That is really scary. We are never going to go swimming in a lake, ocean,or river again. Only pools now.

hi there peoples