NARRATOR: But everyone loves Lucy.
The story of this great white is the classic "Finding Nemo"
tale, but about 2,000 pounds heavier.
When divers spotted Lucy back in 2008,
her distinctive tail wound looked fresh.
And she seemed in desperate need of a good meal.
A damaged caudal often puts a shark's life in danger.
It's crucial for propelling a shark through water.
APRYL BOYLE: Lucy's its tail deformity
could be from fighting with another shark
when she was younger.
NARRATOR: And Lucy's not only survived, she's thrived.
She did it by modifying the way she swims to sway a little more
than the average great white.
And now Lucy's adoring public keeps
an eye out for her signature floppy fin
and her unique swagger.
Unlike other female great whites,
Lucy returns to Guadalupe Island every year.
And that is because she has not given birth yet.
If she did, she'd be gone at least 12 to 18 months,
because that's how long a shark pregnancy lasts.
NARRATOR: Fans don't know for sure
why Lucy is still not a mom.
It could be that male sharks are turned
off by her misshapen fin.
Or maybe Lucy hasn't yet met Zapata,
the most famous and recognizable male great white
of Guadalupe Island.
This tough guy is a 14-footer, who has mixed it up
with other apex predators and has
the battle scars to prove it.
RALPH COLLIER: Zapata is a very large shark.
To sustain the wounds it received,
the attacking shark must have been very large, possibly
18 or 20 feet in length.
NARRATOR: He might not play well with other sharks.
But luckily, unlike Bullet, Zapata actually
enjoys hanging out with people.
That's my favorite shark right there, Zapata.
NARRATOR: Scarboard, at an intimidating 18 feet long,
isn't just one of the most massive sharks
at Guadalupe Island, she's one of the biggest
great whites in the world.
But like all sharks, no one will know for sure how old
she is until after she dies.
RALPH COLLIER: One of the ways to determine the age of a shark
is by dissecting it.
If we cut through a vertebra, we can
see rings similar to those of a tree showing annual growth.
She got her nautically themed name
because of scars on the right, or starboard, side of her body.
APRYL BOYLE: When sharks engage in head-to-head combat,
they can do incredible damage to each other, which
is what happened to Scarboard.
But sharks have amazing healing abilities.
NARRATOR: Scarboard shows up at Guadalupe every other year.
And the next time you see her, many of her scars
might be gone.
Bullet, Lucy, Zapata, and Scarboard,
four sharks whose physical flaws grabbed our attention.
and helped make them famous.