Bull Shark

Photo: Mariana Cravo · © all rights reserved

The Casamance is one of the few places in West Africa where bull sharks use estuarine habitat as a pupping and nursery ground, exploiting the low-salinity environment where few marine predators can follow. Juveniles are most common during rainy season when river discharge peaks, and their presence here is a strong indicator of a healthy estuarine ecosystem. Bull sharks have exceptional osmoregulatory ability, allowing them to penetrate far upstream and utilise the estuary's abundant fish and invertebrate prey.