The Great White Shark

Carcharodon Carcharias

The great white shark is an exceptionally large shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. Reaching lengths of more than 20 feet and weighing up to 5,000 pounds, the great white shark is the world's largest known predatory fish. 

Great white sharks live in almost all coastal and offshore waters which have a water temperature of between 54 and 75 degrees F. There are greater concentrations off the southern coasts of Australia, South Africa, California, Mexico's Isla Guadalupe, and to a degree in the Central Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.

In a recent study, great white sharks from California were shown to migrate to an area between Baja California and Hawaii, where they spend at lest 100 days of the year before they migrate back to Baja. On the journey out, they swim slowly and dive down to around 3,000 ft. After they arrive, they change behavior and do short dices to about 980 ft for up to 10 minutes. It is still unknown why they migrate and what they do there (it might be seasonal feeding or possibly a mating area). A similar study showed a great white from South Africa migrating to and from the northwestern coast of Australia in under 9 months (12,000 miles!)

Anatomy & Appearance

The great white has a robust large snout. It has almost the same size upper and lower lobes on the tail fin (built for speed). Great whites are masterfully camouflaged with their white belly and grey dorsal (sometimes brown or navy bluish) shade. The coloration makes it difficult for prey to stop the shark because it breaks up the shark's outline when seen from a lateral perspective. When viewed from above, the darker shade blends in with the sea. When seen from below, the shark's colors only cast a minimal silhouette against the sunlight.

Great white sharks have rows of teeth behind the main ones, allowing any that break off to be rapidly replaced. Their teeth are serrated and when the shark bits, it will shake its head side to side, and like saws, tear off chunks of flesh. They often swallow their own broken-off teeth along with chunks of their prey's flesh.

Diet and hunting

White sharks are carnivorous, and primarily eat fish (rays, tuna, smaller sharks), dolphins, porpoises, whale carcasses, seals, fur seals, sea lions, and sometimes sea turtles. Sea otters and penguins are sometimes attacked, but rarely consumed.

A great white shark primarily uses its extra senses to locate prey from far off. Then, the shark uses smell and hearing to further verify that its target is good. At close range, the shark utilizes sight for the attack. At the moment of contact though, the shark will roll back their eyes and actually be blind. This eye roll is a marvelous way that they protect their eyes from their prey.