The Dorsal Fin

According Christy Henderson of Buzz’s Marina (Ridge, Maryland) a second bull shark was netted a few miles up-river from where last week’s first reported bull shark was found in the Potomac River. According to the interview with Henderson in the video above, the second shark was found in a fisherman’s net later in the day on August 31 (the same day the first bull shark was found).

Henderson told NatGeo News that the second shark, which was measured at 8’3″, was found in a net owned by Thomas Crowder in Tall Timbers, Maryland.

Bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are one of the most well-known of shark species that are able to tolerate freshwater environments. Due to the bull shark’s freshwater tolerance, it is not entirely uncommon for bull sharks to be found in rivers and estuaries.

NBC Washington is reporting that an 8′ (2.4m) long bull shark was caught on August 31 in the Potomac River. According to the report, Willy Dean was fishing in Maryland’s St. Mary’s County in hopes of netting cownose rays for a biologist from Solomons Island, MD. Dean inadvertently netted the bull shark, which put up “quite a fight,” according to the fisherman. Dean says he will likely have the shark’s head “mounted” and is currently keeping the carcass in his freezer, according to the report.

Photos of the shark carcass are posted at NBC Washington.