Completed
Bull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
Silhouette: PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassElasmobranchii
- OrderCarcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
- FamilyCarcharhinidae (Requiem Sharks)
- GenusCarcharhinus (Typical Requiem Sharks)
- SpeciesCarcharhinus leucas (Bull Shark)
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
38 Verified sightings at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park From 2019 to 2026
157 In all 2 parks
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Bull Shark
The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. It is known for its aggressive nature, and presence mainly in warm, shallow brackish and freshwater systems including estuaries and (usually) lower reaches of rivers. Their aggressive nature has led to ongoing shark-culling efforts near beaches to protect beachgoers, which is one of the causes of bull shark populations continuing to decrease. Bull sharks are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Bull sharks are euryhaline and can thrive in both salt and fresh water. They are known to travel far up rivers, and have been known to travel up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Illinois, about 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) from the ocean, but few freshwater interactions with humans have been recorded. Larger-sized bull sharks are responsible for a large part of nearshore shark attacks, and may be responsible for many attacks involving unidentified species.
Unlike the river sharks of the genus Glyphis, bull sharks are not true freshwater sharks, despite their ability to survive in freshwater habitats. This shark appears in the image of the 2000 colones banknote from Costa Rica. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Bull Shark in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Route Safari Camp | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Sea World | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Sydney Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Penang Bird Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Oklahoma Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Poema del Mar Aquarium | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Berkshire College of Agriculture | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Parassinikkadavu Snake Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates |
Closest Relatives at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park
No species of the same family or order lives in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other sharks & rays.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Bull Shark in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park?
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Bull Shark sighting in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 6 sharks and rays we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Bull Shark in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park?
January–February and November
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Bull Shark in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April–May and July–October, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Bull Shark?
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bull Shark sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park the best place to see a Bull Shark?
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Bull Shark sightings, Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 80%).
Where does the Bull Shark sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bull Shark is recorded against all the sharks and rays logged in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park (38 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
