{"id":9813,"date":"2024-03-19T09:05:23","date_gmt":"2024-03-19T08:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=9813"},"modified":"2024-03-19T09:05:23","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T08:05:23","slug":"has-there-ever-been-a-shark-in-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/has-there-ever-been-a-shark-in-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Has There Ever Been A Shark In The Mississippi River"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Story Of The Mississippi Shark<\/h2>\n

It’s a surprise that many don’t know, but there has in fact been a confirmed shark sighting in the Mississippi River. The first recorded sighting happened over a century ago. This is when the first-ever shark specimen caught in the Mississippi was pulled up right here in Louisiana. It was a small Atlantic sharpnose shark that was caught by a trawler in the late 1890s, not far from New Orleans. <\/p>\n

Just recently, a bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, was reported in the Mississippi. The Bull Shark is known for being one of the most far-reaching shark species, as it can survive in both fresh and saltwater. It is also one of the few species of shark that can live in places such as large rivers like the Mississippi. It is believed that these sharks can reach Lake Michigan, Illinois, and as far up as Minnesota. <\/p>\n

This was the first confirmed sighting of a Bull Shark in the Mississippi, though smaller species of shark are known to exist further upstream. It is thought that this shark was either an individual, mating, or having pups, which means that it is a possibility that it is still in the Mississippi River. <\/p>\n

The presence of the Bull Shark in the Mississippi has been a subject of debate for experts. Many doubt whether shark populations are flourishing, or whether this is a single, rare occurrence. Marine and wildlife experts believe that the Bull Shark may be a particularly hardy species, being able to easily survive the waters of the Mississippi, and that there may be others out there. However, the possibility of a large population of Bull Sharks in the Mississippi River is debated heavily by experts in the field. <\/p>\n