6.5-Foot Bull Shark Reeled in Sydney Harbor; How Aggressive Is the Fish?

An Australian shark angler captured a bull shark in front of a view of the Sydney Opera House Thursday. He caught the fish right in front of a crowd of curious tourists.

Bull Shark in Sydney Harbor

Jordan, an angler, fished in the Sydney Harbor using a whole frozen mullet as bait. After only 15 minutes, the shark bit.

It only took 10 minutes of battle before Jordan could pull the shark out of the water with the help of his friend, fisherman Sarkis Hagopian.

Jordan told a local news outlet he decided to go fishing in the area because he saw many people catch some decent sharks there, Newsweek reported. He added that he had never fished in the harbor or caught a shark all his life before the said incident.

Hagopian shared footage of Jordan's fishing escapade on TikTok. It showed Jordan reeling in the massive shark.

Hagopian told Newsweek that there are different types of sharks in Sydney Harbor. However, he noted that bull sharks are among the most dangerous shark species. It came third after the tiger shark and the great white, with the two having more unprovoked attacks, according to the Florida Museum's Shark Attack File.

Despite its aggressive nature, Hagopian and Jordan decided to remove the hook from the shark's mouth and release it back into the water. Hagopian says they respect the sport and only catch and release as much as possible. He added that most would only cut the line with the hook still in the shark's mouth. However, by working together, they managed to release the bull shark freely.

Jordan added that the shark "swam off strong."

ALSO READ: Bottlenose Dolphins, Humans Work Together To Catch Migrating Mullet in Brazil

How Aggressive Are Bull Sharks?

Shark biologist and conservation lead at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Leonardo Guida, Ph.D., said bull sharks are known to be an aggressive species. She warned those who get close to them to take caution.

NWF added that bull sharks are considered the most dangerous to humans because of their aggressive tendencies and ability to migrate up rivers. Also, bull sharks prefer shallow coastal water, suggesting that they will likely come in contact with humans.

Bull sharks are not picky eaters. They usually eat other shark species and marine mammals.

Fortunately, shark attacks are extremely rare. However, one should be wary because they are apex predators.

In a previous report from Science Times, a teenage girl from Australia died while swimming with dolphins after a bull shark attacked her.

Stella Berry, 16, was with her friends on the banks of Swan River in North Fremantle, Perth, when she saw a pod of dolphins and swam with them. However, a shark bit her leg.

Robert Harcourt, an Honorary Professor of Marine Ecology at Macquarie University and a regular surfer discouraged swimmers from swimming with dolphins because the claims that sharks and dolphins avoid each other is a myth.

The expert noted that there are likely sharks around when there are dolphins because they feed on the same fish.

Shark Eggs Hunting

The Easter season is coming up, and according to Forbes, you can skip the traditional eggs left by the Easter bunny and opt for shark eggs instead.

The Shark Trust developed The Great Eggcase Hunt in 2003, aiming to determine valuable information about egg-laying sharks, skates, chimeras, and rays around the world.