A Texas fisherman's catch has hooked the attention of the internet, reeling in more than just a fish from the Guadalupe River—a video posted by TikTok user Jonathanaguayo5 shows what appears to be a bull shark at the end of his line, thrashing in the shallows. The footage, which took off on social media with over 700,000 views, has left people questioning the possibility of sharks in a river best known for its laid-back tubing scene, according to CBS2 Iowa.
@jonathanaguayo5 Bullshark caught in the Guadalupe river in texas #fishing #texasfishing #guadaluperiver ♬ original sound - Bigjon69
The New Braunfels city officials were quick to clear the water of any shark fears, as per KVUE, "TUBERS, BE AWARE: 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 freshwater of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels," and while the Guadalupe is a known habitat for various freshwater species, the claim of a bull shark in the waters has stirred a mix of skepticism and curiosity.
Bull sharks are known troublemakers, possessing a not-so-gentle disposition and a tendency to swim in shallow waters, which, coupled with their ability to navigate the upstream paths lends some credence to the fisherman's impressive catch; this is not even the first case of a bull shark found in odd waters, as back in 2017, a dead bull shark was discovered in the Trinity River near Liberty, which, as detailed by KVUE, experts indicated could indeed have swum there from the Gulf of Mexico, potentially trekking the 40 miles north to Galveston Bay overnight.
As for the bull shark wrangled from the Guadalupe, its truth remains murky as no local authorities have corroborated the TikTok claim, and for now, the city of New Braunfels maintains that their stretch of the river remains a shark-free zone, suggesting that tubers can continue to float in peace—unless another rogue shark decides to prove the lore of the deep runs as deep as the waters it swims.
