Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916
The Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of New Jersey, in the United States, between July 1 and 12, 1916, in which four people were killed and one critically injured. The incidents occurred during a deadly summer heat wave and polio epidemic in the United States that drove thousands of people to the seaside resorts of the Jersey Shore. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved, with the great white shark and the bull shark most frequently cited.
Mural on bridge in area of Matawan Creek attacks, Matawan, NJ.
Memorial plaque dedicated to the victims of the 1916 Matawan Creek shark attacks, Matawan, NJ.
German American Michael Schleisser and the great white shark caught in Raritan Bay purported to be the "Jersey man-eater", as seen in the Bronx Home News.
Leading scientists of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City debated the threat posed by sharks before and after the 1916 Jersey Shore attacks
The bull shark, also known as the Zambezi shark in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. It is known for its aggressive nature, and presence mainly in warm, shallow brackish and freshwater systems including estuaries and (usually) lower reaches of rivers. This aggressive nature is a reason for its population being listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Shark-culling occurs near beaches to protect beachgoers, which is one of the causes of bull shark populations continuing to decrease.
Bull shark
Upper teeth
Lower teeth
Electron micrograph of an upper tooth