Shark
Zambezi Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
South Africa's name for the bull shark - a stocky, unpredictable requiem shark that tolerates fresh water and turns up in warmer, murkier conditions.
Also known as bull shark, zambesi, zambezi
- Typical size
- Commonly 2.4-3.5 m
- Habitat
- Surf zone, estuaries and river mouths
- Depth
- Surface to ~150 m; often shallow
Known elsewhere as the bull shark, the Zambezi is a thickset, blunt-snouted requiem shark with a reputation for boldness in low visibility. It is one of the few sharks able to move into estuaries and rivers, thanks to a remarkable ability to regulate its salt balance in fresh water.
On these Eastern Cape reefs it is an occasional warm-water visitor, most often noted in the surf and around river mouths after rain. It is treated on the spot lists as a shark to be aware of, particularly in dirty water where its curiosity and poor-visibility hunting style raise the risk of an investigative approach.