"How Strong Was the Hurricane?"... Shark Found in Lake 16km from the Sea

Found in US Lake 16km from Sea
"Possibly Due to Hurricane Hurleen"

A commotion arose after a shark was discovered in a lake park in Florida, USA. This lake is located 16 km away from the sea, and it is presumed that the shark accidentally ended up in the lake after being swept away by flooding caused by a hurricane.

Local affiliate 'WBBH' of NBC in the US recently focused on the shark found in the lake park in Fort Myers, Florida. The shark is known to be a juvenile bull shark, which is mainly found in the waters of the western and southern parts of the North American continent. Although it normally inhabits the sea, it is one of the few shark species capable of living in freshwater environments such as lakes and rivers.

Bull shark. [Image source=University of Florida, USA]

The shark was reportedly discovered by tourists on the 29th of last month (local time). Photos and videos capturing the massive shark swimming beneath the lake surface were also posted on social media platforms.

Susanna Cogburn, a shark researcher at Florida Gulf Coast University, speculated that the reason the shark was found in the lake might be "due to the hurricane that recently struck the US," adding, "It is possible if the shark was swept into the lake by flooding and remained there."

Bull shark pup found at a lake park in Florida, USA [Image source=Captured from X]

As long as there is enough food, bull sharks can survive in this lake, but it has not yet been confirmed whether the local wildlife protection committee will capture the shark and release it back into the sea.

Meanwhile, about five days before the shark was found, on the 24th of last month, Hurricane Hermine formed in the western Caribbean Sea. Hermine made landfall in Florida on the night of the 26th, two days later, and subsequently swept through North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia in sequence before finally dissipating on the 29th.

The confirmed death toll has reached 201 so far, with hundreds reported missing. Flooding and inundation damage occurred in many areas where the typhoon made landfall, and strong winds reaching speeds of 225 km/h caused trees and utility poles to break and buildings to be damaged.