It is not uncommon to find sharks in Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. Sharks can swim into the lake from the Gulf of Mexico but one fisherman is warning of the dangers of sharks.

Joseph Rohaley, a local fisherman, caught a bull shark while out fishing on the lake Monday. The Bull Shark was five foot, five inches, and took Joseph 45 minutes to pull in. Joseph told Kenny Lopez of WGNO that he caught this shark across from the Mardi Gras fountain along the seawall on Lakeshore Drive.

“Anything that is in the Gulf of Mexico is in Lake Pontchartrain,” Joseph Rohaley said to WGNO.

Joseph Rohaley says it's important for families to spend time together on the water and to make memories together but people need to be aware of what is around them, especially when they get in the water.

Rich Toth with the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas gave a little bit of advice to those who frequent the waters, telling WGNO -

Don’t swim in murky water, don’t wear shiny or sparkly clothing in the water, and avoid the water at dusk and dawn when sharks are feeding. -Rich Toth

 

 

 

 

As you can see from the stories below this is not the first time that a shark has been seen on Lake Pontchartrain.

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