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The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the great white, white shark or white pointer,
is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans.
1. Size
It is notable for its size, with larger female individuals growing to 6.1 m (20 ft) in length and 1,905–2,268 kg (4,200–5,00in weight at maturity).
However, most are smaller; males measure 3.4 to 4.0 m (11 to 13 ft), and females measure 4.6 to 4.9 m (15 to 16 ft) on average.
2. Life span
According to a 2014 study, the lifespan of great white sharks is estimated to be as long as 70 years or more,
well above previous estimates, making it one of the longest lived cartilaginous fishes currently known.
3. Deeper, Faster, Longer
The great white shark is well-evolved for hunting large, swift prey such as sea lions and seals.
Despite their massive size, they are impressively agile and can swim very quickly.
Indeed, they can reach speeds of more than 16 mph in short bursts, normally while in pursuit of prey.
They also undertake lengthy migrations during which time they have been observed diving very deep, often reaching depths of nearly 4,000 feet.
It is somewhat unclear why they undertake these deep dives, although it may be in search of prey such as squid and other deep-dwelling species.
However, there is a trade-off to be made by the shark here as these dives may be energetically costly.
During their long migrations, great whites rely on fats and oils stored within their livers to survive with little to no food
as they cross relatively unproductive parts of the oceans.
These fats and oils can help them remain more buoyant, presumably reducing the amount of energy required to swim these long distances.
Also, in individuals that dive to deep depths more quickly than others,
it was observed that they use up these energy stores more quickly than those that sink at a more leisurely rate.
This supports the theory that there exists some sort of trade-off between preserving these important energy stores
and reaching deeper waters quickly, perhaps to access new prey as soon as possible.
4. Distribution
White shark populations are frequently centred in highly productive temperate coastal waters
(that is, waters characterized by an abundance of fishes and marine mammals),
such as off the coasts of the northeastern and western United States, Chile, northern Japan, southern Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa, and the Mediterranean.
Some individual white sharks may travel far out to sea or into tropical waters, but field studies show that most return to these temperate feeding areas each year.
5. Reproduction
Male great white sharks may take more than twenty-five years to reach sexual maturity while females,
who grow bigger than males in general, reach sexual maturity at about thirty-three years of age.
Little is known about the species’ mating habits, with mating behavior having never been observed until 1997.
It is believed that males and females will lay belly-to-belly, rolling repeatedly during copulation.
The birth of a great white shark has never been observed. However, the examination of pregnant females has revealed that they are ovoviviparous.
This means that their eggs will hatch internally and continue to develop within the uterus before giving birth to the pups following an 11-month gestation period.
The most pups ever attributed to one female is fourteen.
The new pups’ powerful jaws will begin to develop within their first month, and they are mostly independent from birth.
6. Hunting and diet
Highly adapted predators, their mouths are lined with up to 300 serrated,
triangular teeth arranged in several rows, and they have an exceptional sense of smell to detect prey.
They even have organs that can sense the tiny electromagnetic fields generated by animals.
Their prey includes other sharks, crustaceans, molluscs, and sea birds.
Larger white sharks will also prey on sea lions, seals, and small toothed whales like orcas.
The species has even been seen feeding on dead whales.
8. Competition for Food
When it comes to the way in which Great White Sharks feed, there is a very little known factor that is highly intriguing.
These sharks do not like to fight over food. Now while I personally don’t want to have to fight for food either,
many may be a bit surprised to learn that Great Whites feel the same way because of their vicious image.
However, when there is more than one of these sharks in the vicinity, and only enough food for one, they have a tail-slapping contest.
The sharks slap the water’s surface as they swim around each other,
thus sending a spray of water in the direction of the opposing shark(s).
The Great White who slaps the most wins the meal.
8. Socialization
The structure and behavior of the Great White social network is still a big mystery.
Normally, they are mavericks and loners.
Free thinkers who spend much time alone. When they do meet or swim in groups, they typically avoid conflict and dominance battles.
However, there are places, such as the waters around Africa, where Great White Sharks show a distinct hierarchy.
Females tend to dominate males and larger sharks dominate smaller ones.
Local sharks seem to dominate newcomers and in order to show strength, more dominant sharks may give warning bites to the submissive’s.
As with many other predators, cannibalism does occur, although it’s believed to be a rare occurrence.
9. Attacks on humans
In the areas where they are most common, white sharks are responsible for numerous unprovoked,
and sometimes fatal, attacks on swimmers, divers, surfers, kayakers, and even small boats.
A white shark tends to inflict a single bite on its human victim and then retreat.
In many instances, however, the shark does not return for a second bite.
If the victim suffers a moderate bite, he or she may have time to seek safety.
In situations where a large bite occurs, however, serious tissue and organ damage may result in death.
A review of white shark attacks off the western United States showed that about 7 percent of attacks were fatal,
but data from other localities, such as South Africa, show fatality rates of more than 20 percent.
Fatality rates as high as 60 percent have been recorded from attacks in the waters off Australia.
Many researchers maintain that attacks on humans stem from the shark’s curiosity.
In contrast, other authorities contend that these attacks may be the result of the shark mistaking humans for its natural prey, such as seals and sea lions.
It is also possible that white sharks intend to attack humans where their normal prey may be scarce.
10. Conservation status
It is unclear how much of a concurrent increase in fishing for great white sharks has caused the decline of great white shark populations from the 1970s to the present.
No accurate global population numbers are available, but the great white shark is now considered vulnerable.
Sharks taken during the long interval between birth and sexual maturity never reproduce, making population recovery and growth difficult.
The IUCN notes that very little is known about the actual status of the great white shark,
but as it appears uncommon compared to other widely distributed species, it is considered vulnerable.
It is included in Appendix II of CITES, meaning that international trade in the species requires a permit.
As of March 2010, it has also been included in Annex I of the CMS Migratory Sharks MoU,
which strives for increased international understanding and coordination for the protection of certain migratory sharks.
A February 2010 study by Barbara Block of Stanford University estimated the world population of great white sharks to be lower than 3,500 individuals,
making the species more vulnerable to extinction than the tiger, whose population is in the same range.
According to another study from 2014 by George H. Burgess, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida,
there are about 2,000 great white sharks near the California coast, which is 10 times higher than the previous estimate of 219 by Barbara Block.
Fishermen target many sharks for their jaws, teeth, and fins, and as game fish in general.
The great white shark, however, is rarely an object of commercial fishing, although its flesh is considered valuable.
If casually captured (it happens for example in some tonnare in the Mediterranean), it is misleadingly sold as a smooth-hound shark.
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