A number of marine animals can be found in lakes all around the world. Some of the lakes are famous for having deadly animals in them. Great lakes are enjoyed by most people, which makes them wonder if those lakes have sharks or not. If this is something that ignites your interest, keep reading as we will disclose the name of sharks that are present in great lakes.
Introduction to Great Lakes
Many tourists enjoy the view of the Great lakes. Great lakes are situated in the Northern United States where they border the US and Canada. There are a total of five great lakes present in this region. They are the connecting unit between countries and coasts.
The Five Great Lakes:
It consists of;
1: Lake Superior: It is the largest freshwater lake among other great lakes and is located in North America.
2: Ontario: Other than connecting with three distinct regions including Southwest, North, and West, it also borders Ontario.
3: Huron: It shares its borders, eastern and northern, with Ontario.
4: Eerie: It is the shallowest of all and 4th largest lake.
5: Michigan: It makes the second largest member of the Great lakes.
Sharks Habitat
Sharks’ habitat is to live in saltwater and they can not survive in freshwater. Bull sharks are the only sharks that have the capability to survive in freshwater and this makes them the only sharks that live in great lakes.
Which Sharks Can Survive In Great Lakes?
Among all the sharks there is only one breed of shark that can survive in Great lake and that is the Bull shark. The bull shark is usually found in tropical and subtropical oceans of the world, however, sometimes it does take a tour of freshwater lakes either to lay eggs or just for migratory purposes. The bull shark is an active predator which weighs around 316.5 kg and grows upto 13 feet in length.
Why Do Only Bull Sharks Survive In Great Lakes?
The reason that only bull sharks can survive in the freshwater of great lakes is that they have the ability to recycle salt within their bodies. This alteration in physiology is only observed in Bull sharks which makes them capable of surviving in freshwater for a time being. However, they cannot stay in freshwater for a long time and prefer to migrate back to saltwater oceans.
Aquatic Animals That Live In Great Lakes
Some fishes that find the great lakes ideal for them are:
- Northern pike
- Trout
- Bass
- Perch
- Suckers
- Salmon
- American eels
- Bowfin
- Channel catfish
Conclusion
Although there have been few sightings, there are no verified reports of sharks living in Great lakes till now. Great lakes are very deep and too cold for sharks’ natural habitat. Only bull sharks have been found upto 1000 miles deep in Mississippi where the water is much warmer than the Great lakes.
