They are typically encountered following schools of whales, porpoises and dolphins. These sharks are known for presenting a very bold and intimidating front to divers, though actual 'attacks' are few and far between. Blue Shark The Bull Shark . Bull sharks are typically encountered in the tropics, but sometimes venture further north or south on warm water currents such as the Gulf Stream. The shark's name comes from its short, blunt snout, small eyes and heavy build.
Bull sharks are a 'requiem' species, reaching up to ten feet in length.
They are also found in fresh water and seem to be about the most adaptable of all sharks. They may be found way up the Amazon and Ganges river systems, or shadowing whales and dolphins in the open sea. It has been postulated that many of the attacks originally blamed on great whites or tigers are the responsibility of this creature, as in the case of the infamous New Jersey incidents of 1916 - the real event on which Peter Benchley's 'Jaws' story was based. When the evidence is examined however, while on one hand we have numerous accounts of aggressive bull shark attacks on swimmers, boats and canoes in fresh or brackish water, we also have to consider that in most salt water reef environments the bull shark is not seen as a particular liability, and may even be safely fed or manhandled by divers on a regular basis. So the main problem once again is our ignorance of the animal concerned.