COL Jagdog-
Yes, the Bull Shark (C. leucas) is probably the most frequent attacker of humans among the sharks.
A record one exceeded 13 feet, caught in a fresh water river in South Africa. It's called the Zambezi shark there, and ranges far upriver in many rivers, inc. the Missisippi.
I think the scariest looking shark is the Mako. And they're fast and sometimes aggressive. A known maneater, like the hammerhead mentioned above.
I watched a film on sharks last night, on VHS. Narrated by Peter Benchley, it was more frank about the dangers of shark attack than more recent TV features, which are made by shark lovers. The truth is that not all sharks attack people, by a long shot. But some will, and certain species are known to be very dangerous.
Most drivers don't get hit in traffic, either, but I see quite a few wrecks. Shark attacks are grim when they happen. I have several books on sharks, and one has some really unsettling photos of victims attacked off of the Natal beaches, despite the netting used there. That's near Durban.
I really like the image above of the Great White jumping to nab the seal, probably taken off South Africa. For whatever reason, Whites seem less acrobatic elsewhere. But they are the same basic Isurid class of sharks as the Mako, known for spectacular leaps. The far larger Whites just don't jump as much, in most locales. I saw a surfboard with a bite in it from a White, and the bite went halfway across the wide board. Large sharks can bite a man right in half, or just swallow him.
I have a necklace made from the tooth of a Tiger shark, and quit wearing it, because it sometimes cut me. This is a true story.
My son once stabbed to death a reef shark that had a go at him off of Guam. It went after a fish that he'd speared, then went for him. Despite him hitting it with a spear, it needed quite a few stabs to expire. Some Chamorros (Guam natives) helped him cook it that night. It was under six feet. Good thing it wasn't a really big shark.
I know of attacks in water less than three feet deep. If you swim where sharks live, be very careful!
We don't have a bear topic today, and I thought a shark topic would provide some variety...
