Bull sharks in Indian River

JeffN

JeffN

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Yes I know I'm stretching S FL a bit but this has me concerned as we're moving to Vero in few weeks. Does anyone know about the bull sharks in the indian river? I read about the rays and skates but in the brackish waters of the river but the sharks seem a bit out of place.

We're 10 miles to either inlet so we have the freshest water in the ICW.
 
There are Bull sharks up the New River in Ft. Lauderdale so I'm sure there are some up the Indian.

Bull sharks can live in pure fresh water and have been found up the Mississippi river as I recall.
 
They have been found up in the Hudson River also.
 
Bob I know we've had dolphins about 80 miles up the Hudson river. We were out fishing for stripers in Spring and saw it chasing a school of fish. The good animal loving humanitarian folks caught it to relocate it but it died.
It looked quite old and beat up to me so I suspect it would not have made it long anyway.
 
Bull Sharks are definitely found in the Indian River. The Fort Pierce inlet is a large body of water and as Capt. Bill said, they can live in brackish to fresh water.

However, in the 5 years that we have had our place in Fort Pierce, there have been no incidents involving Bull Sharks that I am aware of.

Dave
 
i don't wear red bathing suits, so should be safe from BULL sharks...

as i recall, the water is so murky, who'd want to swim in that anyway!
 
Jeffn,
Been working on the Indian River, daily for 10 years, have seen Bull Sharks a few times, but nothing to become concerned about. As stated by Pascal, who wants to swim in warm/hot murky water anyway. Have seen gators, not many, they don't like the brakisesh water. Relax, neither are really issue. Now the snakes, that is a different story.

Welcome to Florida

John
 
Just for the record, the Indian River is certainly not murky in the Fort Pierce area most of the time.

Looks a lot like the ocean to me!

Dave
 
If I recall correctly, a guy swimming in the canal behind his home in St. Pete was killed by a bull shark a few years back...
 
Eric, I think that was at Boca Ciega bay just off Gulfport?
 
Jumped in near a big school of Mullet as I recall. Flash of his hands or feet most have looked like a fish. Or the Bull was not happy to have potential competition for it's meal.
 
Off the upper Fla. coast, the sharks congregate close to the beach in July.
They are thick around then.
 
Lovely, and I used to look over my shoulder swimming in the St john's r. sometimes I like/need to dunk myself off the boat to cool off and also like to beach on the spoil Is. but I imagine that's a calculated risk.
 
This past Winter we were fortunate to meet a couple of pilots on some down time on Elbow Cay because they towed us back when the dink died with a gummed up carb. So I invited them up for a beer and we happened to touch on the subject of sharks since we were out looking for conch. They confirmed the congregation of sharks in July. I think they were talking about Sarasota.
The information convinced me that was a bad time to go swimming around there given their description.
 
Yes to SHep. Guy used to go for a swim in his canal every night after work,
 
about 2 years ago-was a bull they think-this was the beach across the street from us:

FLORIDA: A boy of nine was killed by a shark as he played in the surf at a popular tourist beach. Nine-year-old James Tellasmon was 'squealing and laughing' in the water during a family outing to Vero Beach Vero Beach city (1990 pop. 17,350), on Indian River - on Florida's east coast about 90 miles south-east of Orlando when the 12ft fish struck, biting him in half.

Earlier this month, a 13-year-old boy surfing close to the scene of the tragedy was also bitten, but survived. Experts believe the incident, the first fatal shark attack in Florida waters for ten years, happened because the predators are attracted by bait fish Bait fish are small fishes caught for use as bait to attract large predatory fish, particularly game fish. Species used are typically those that are common and breed rapidly, making them easy to catch and in regular supply. migrating south along the shoreline.
 
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