A bull shark was spotted in a local lake, and experts think Hurricane Helene might have something to do with it.
Laila Moreira took videos of a shark swimming around the southeastern end of Lakes Park on Sunday. FGCU experts identified it as a baby bull shark.
Susannah Cogburn studies these creatures as a graduate student at the Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University.
"Bull sharks are really unique. They have this adaptation that allows them to live in fresh and saltwater environments," Cogburn said.
Lakes Park flooded when Hurricane Helene passed by our area. Susannah says that could explain why the shark is here, "It definitely could be related. Looking at the geography of where Lakes Park is, what probably happened is it came up through Hendry Creek. All the flood water could have pushed that shark there, and then when the water receded, it just stayed in Lakes Park.”
Hendry Creek ends at Lakes Park and connects to Estero Bay, which eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico.
Cogburn said living in freshwater may put the shark's body under a little bit of stress, but as long as it has enough food, it should be OK.
"Which, as the only shark in the lake, it seems like they should have an ample amount of food to feed on,” Cogburn said.
NBC2 reached out to Lee County Parks to see if they are aware there's a shark in Lakes Park. They said they could provide no comment at this time. NBC2 also reached out to FWC to see if a shark was reported to them.