Jupiter Free Diver Gets Up Close And Personal With Giant Bull Shark Off East Coast

JUPITER, FL — It's not every day you get an “up close and personal inspection of the very impressive serrated teeth of a large female bull shark,” said 55-year-old Jupiter free diver, photographer and environmentalist Capt. John Moore.

So, instead of frantically heading to the nearest dry land, Moore took advantage of the rare opportunity and began snapping photos of the giant shark as she flashed him a deadly, toothy grin.

Moore has been diving for years with the diving company, Florida Shark Diving, and said this is the largest bull shark he's ever encountered.

"She was an abnormally large female," Moore said. "Very likely pregnant, she certainly hadn't skipped any meals. She was a very dominant shark, confidently coming right up to me throughout our dive."

Despite some fish tales told by media outlets sharing Moore's photos, the National Wildlife Foundation said it's doubtful the shark Moore encountered weighed 1,500 pounds and was 14 feet long.

The females are the largest of the species. While male bull sharks grow to about 7 feet and 200 pounds, the females can grow up to 11.5 feet long and weigh up to 500 pounds.

The only 1,500-pound bull shark humans might encounter would be in a work of fiction by Peter Benchley, author of "Jaws."

The International Game Fish Association says the largest bull shark recorded weighed 771 pounds.

Tiger sharks and great white sharks are the largest species of shark. The largest tiger shark ever recorded weighed 1,450 pounds

The IGFA recognizes the largest great white as the one caught in 1959 by Alf Dean in Australian waters, weighing 2,663 pounds.

No matter her size, Moore said he was thrilled to encounter this rare example.

"I feel very lucky to be able to share the ocean with these sharks," he said.

After posing for a few photos, the shark resumed her search for a meal near the surface of the ocean.

At one point, a fish escaped the shark's jaws by hiding behind Moore. "This set me up for a shot that's even too close for my 20 mm lens," Moore said, referring to the shark swimming toward him with jaws open.

"A girl’s gotta eat. I post a lot of pics of bull sharks in that very brief second where they look mean during feeding," he said. "Those large, serrated teeth poking out of those powerful jaws. I don’t do this to demonize or to paint these magnificent predators in a negative light. I do it because I am constantly in awe of the power and efficiency of these awesome hunters. Despite this ferocious-looking exterior, these animals are accepting, respectful and even gentle with me in the water. If only humans could treat them with the same respect."

Nevertheless, he said he never takes his safety for granted when it comes to any sharks he encounters while diving.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, bull sharks are more aggressive than other shark species and, therefore, are among the most likely to attack humans. Additionally, they favor shallow coastal waters, the same waters people swim in and occasionally mistake feet for fish.

As a result, bull sharks account for the third-highest number of attacks on humans. Nevertheless, the FWC noted that shark attacks are rare. In a typical year, fewer than 20 people around the world die from shark attacks.

Bull sharks are found on both the East Coast of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.

Unlike most sharks, they can survive in freshwater for long periods of time due to special glands and kidney functions that help their bodies retain salt while in freshwater. As a result, they can be found in many Florida rivers. They've even been found in the Mississippi and Amazon rivers.

There are about 1,000 species of shark worldwide, and 75 percent are currently threatened with extinction. It is estimated that up to 73 million sharks are killed annually by finning alone, the gruesome practice of cutting off a live shark's fins and throwing the rest of the animal back into the sea, where it dies a slow and painful death.

The fins are used in China and Hong Kong, and by Chinese communities elsewhere in the world, as the key ingredient in shark-fin soup.

Other threats to sharks include overfishing, fisheries bycatch (unintentionally catching them in a net while fishing for other species, and then disposing of them), habitat and prey loss, disturbance of their natural environment by humans.