MONROE COUNTY, Fla. — When you think of the Florida Everglades, you probably think of alligators, turtles, snakes and birds.
But a recent viral video of a fisherman getting pulled into the water by a shark may have you questioning what you know about the national park.
The group in the video was fishing for snook and tarpon in Flamingo, the southernmost headquarters of Everglades National Park. That area is close to the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean that surrounds the Florida Keys — so it isn't too surprising to find sharks there.
But it may surprise you that sharks live in the freshwater areas of the Everglades, too.
Lemon sharks, the species that was said to have bitten the man in the video, often travel into estuarine waters and freshwater areas but not as far up rivers as the bull shark, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
![](https://media.wtsp.com/assets/WTSP/images/b6732f32-c3be-40db-b42f-93badabfc71d/b6732f32-c3be-40db-b42f-93badabfc71d_16x9.jpg)
![](https://media.wtsp.com/assets/WTSP/images/b6732f32-c3be-40db-b42f-93badabfc71d/b6732f32-c3be-40db-b42f-93badabfc71d_1140x641.jpg)
Bull sharks, one of the most aggressive species of sharks, are more commonly found throughout the Everglades. According to wildlife experts, they have a "wide range of salinity tolerances," allowing them to enter freshwater systems and hypersaline lagoons.
"They are the only shark species that can tolerate long periods of freshwater exposure, sometimes venturing hundreds of miles inland via coastal river systems," the FWC wrote.
![](https://media.wtsp.com/assets/WTSP/images/d7d5a6db-575f-4112-9bf9-2fb5dc0a85e4/d7d5a6db-575f-4112-9bf9-2fb5dc0a85e4_16x9.jpg)
![](https://media.wtsp.com/assets/WTSP/images/d7d5a6db-575f-4112-9bf9-2fb5dc0a85e4/d7d5a6db-575f-4112-9bf9-2fb5dc0a85e4_1140x641.jpg)
Blacktip sharks, which are common in Florida's coastal waters, bays and estuaries, can also be spotted in the Everglades.
![](https://media.wtsp.com/assets/WTSP/images/ddbeeead-fbb7-454b-a471-ee5fb7e57b8d/ddbeeead-fbb7-454b-a471-ee5fb7e57b8d_16x9.jpg)
![](https://media.wtsp.com/assets/WTSP/images/ddbeeead-fbb7-454b-a471-ee5fb7e57b8d/ddbeeead-fbb7-454b-a471-ee5fb7e57b8d_1140x641.jpg)
Ultimate Fishing Site, an Everglades tourism resource, said it's the reason why many anglers avoid putting their hands in the water when landing a fish, especially in areas where it's particularly murky.
A spokesperson for the Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks told CBS News that the man's injuries in the now-viral video were consistent with a shark bite but it was unclear what species was responsible.
"While shark bites are extremely uncommon in Everglades National Park, we always recommend visitors take caution around park wildlife," the spokesperson told the network.