Are there sharks in the Guadalupe River? New Braunfels officials says it's not likely
A video of a fisherman catching a bull shark in the Guadalupe River has gone viral on social media.
Is the video real? Here's what we know.
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Viral video: Shark caught in Guadalupe River
A TikTok user, @jonathanaguayo5, posted a video earlier this week that documents a fisherman catching a bull shark.
"Bullshark caught in the Guadalupe river in texas," the caption reads.
The Guadalupe River stretches 230 miles from the Texas coast to the Hill Country, and its waters have made it a popular tubing site. It remains unclear exactly where along the river the bull shark was caught.
New Braunfels: No sharks in the river ... probably
The viral post prompted a response from New Braunfels, which sits along the Guadalupe River.
"Despite recent social media posts warning tubers about a shark being caught in 'the Guadalupe River,' there have been no reports of sharks in the relatively shallow fresh water of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels," the Facebook post reads.
Despite its skepticism regarding the recent "catch," city officials cannot dismiss the small possibility that a bull shark could.
"Although it is “technically” possible for bull sharks to swim in fresh water, there are very likely no sharks in the rivers in New Braunfels…probably…" the city's post continues.
Does the Texas coast have bull sharks?
Yes. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD), bull sharks can be found in most subtropical and tropical oceans and are common to the Texas coast area.
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Bull sharks differ from most other sharks in their ability to live in both salt water and fresh water. The species has also been known to travel several miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico, TPWD reports. Experts also say it's possible for a bull shark to travel as many as 200 miles in one night.
Map: Shark allegedly caught along the Guadalupe River
The Guadalupe River flows east from Kerr County, between Austin and San Antonio, before turning south to empty into the Gulf of Mexico near Hynes Bay.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Are there sharks in the Guadalupe River? Texas officials say not likely
