A scuba diver above a Whale shark. The Whale shark is the largest fish in the world; the basking shark is the second largest fish. Show
The biggest shark is the Whale shark, which can be up to 46 feet (14 m) long. The smallest shark is the Spined Pygmy shark, which, when fully-grown, is only 7-8 inches (18-20 cm) long. Most sharks are intermediate in size, about the same size as people, 5-7 feet (1.5-2.1 m) long. Half of the 350 shark species are under 39 inches (1 m) long.
The Great White Shark is best known for his role in the movie Jaws. This shark is known as the most dangerous in the ocean, which is a true fact. The bloodthirsty image of this magnificent creature is mostly dreamed of in the movies and for television ratings. In reality, Great White attacks are extremely rare, even when people swim in close proximity to them. This creature is also known as the Carcharodon Carcharias, the White Shark, the White Pointer, or the White Death. This truly is an amazing creature and one of the most advanced predators in the animal kingdom. They look scary, are very powerful, have exceptional speed and maneuverability, and are expert hunters. It’s no wonder Hollywood portrays sharks as enemies! I guess you could say a Great White Shark is the king of all sharks, and, in general, is one of the oldest and most adaptable creatures on Earth. The Great White Shark – What’s Behind The Name? The name Great White comes from their snow-white ventral sides. However, the dorsal sides of their bodies are not white. In fact, the color of the Great Whites’ top portions is usually grey in order for them to blend in with the seafloor. Although, they can also be dark blue, brown or black. Great White Sharks have the typical torpedo-shape, aiding them with efficient swimming skills. These exceptional swimming abilities are only heightened by their powerful tails, which can propel them through the water at speeds of 15 mph (24 kmph)! It’s awesome that this fish is such a great swimmer considering how heavy they are; their livers alone can take up 24% of their body weight. These massive, sleek sharks even have the ability to lurch out of the water with no problem whatsoever. If you’ve ever seen footage of a Great White on television, you’re probably already familiar with their incredible jumping skills. Great White Sharks On National Geographic Busting the Myth About Great White Shark AttacksGreat White Shark attacks are extremely rare, even when humans are swimming nearby. Humans are not specifically targeted by sharks and that includes the Great White. In the Mediterranean Sea, for example, there have only been 31 confirmed attacks against humans in the last two centuries, most non-fatal. They simply aren’t interested in us. Why Attacks Happen?First of all, it is almost never an “attack” against humans. Sharks, like other fish, will exhibit a behaviour called test biting. They were interested in what they saw and thought you might be a food source. Sharks almost never return again after an initial test bite on a human. That’s why fatalities from shark bites are so rare (most fatalities are caused by blood loss from an initial test bite). On extremely rare occasions, sharks will attack a human. It is believed this only happens when the shark thinks your silhouette is a seal. But again, when the shark discovers you’re a person and not a seal, they quickly retreat. Humans have too many bones for a shark to digest, and sharks much prefer large, fatty animals like seals. Finally, sharks by nature are not very territorial. So even when you’re swimming within very close proximity, they will leave you alone. The biggest issue when people see a shark is that they panic. Splashing around in the water makes you look like an injured animal (remember those “test bites” I was talking about?). If you remain calm and slowly swim away, chances are they won’t even notice you. Do you still think the Great White is a man killing machine? Size Of A Great WhiteThe Great White Shark is one of the largest sharks in the ocean. Measuring up to 6.5 meters (more than 21 feet) is not uncommon. The largest Great White ever measured was over 7 meters long (23 feet). And get this, they can weigh 2 or even 3 metric tons in weight (that’s over 6,500 pounds)! That’s one big fish! Females are typically longer than males. Great White Shark Diet – They Aren’t Picky EatersThe Great White Shark has a diverse diet. These carnivorous creatures prey upon fish, such as tuna, rays, and other sharks, as well as cetaceans, which are dolphins, porpoises, and whales. They are also known to attack pinnipeds such as seals, fur seals, and sea lions, as well as sea turtles, sea otters, and seabirds. Great White Shark pups will predominantly feed on fish since their jaws are not long enough to withstand the forces required to attack large animals such as seals and whales. Once they grow to about three meters in length, their jaw cartilage begins to strengthen, and they can begin to withstand the forces mentioned before. Once they grow to about four meters in length, the Great White Shark’s diet begins to expand. They will begin to target marine mammals for food since they prefer prey with high fat content. Competition for foodWhen it comes to the way in which the Great White Sharks feed, there is a little known factor that is highly intriguing. These sharks do not like to fight over food. While I personally don’t want to have to fight for food either, many may be a bit surprised to learn that the Great Whites feel the same way because of their vicious image. When there are more than one of these sharks in the area and only enough food for one, they engage in 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 sharks. The Great White who slaps the most wins the meal. Hunting Behavior & MethodsGreat White Sharks are very smart hunters. Generally, they use specific strategies to catch their prey, such as surprising their prey from below. By far, their preferred prey is a seal. But they also seem to like sea lions, some species of dolphins (mostly Humpback Dolphins) and select species of whales. Great White Sharks are equipped with incredible noses, ears, and eyes in order to find its prey. These fish are extremely curious creatures, and may examine solitary, vulnerable, and unfamiliar objects to determine whether or not they are edible. This explains why humans have been attacked in the past. If the shark wants to examine potential prey, it will perform one of three methods. The first is the underwater approach, which is used the most often. The shark will swim under the surface until it’s just a few feet away from the prey. From there, it attacks quickly; moving its head to the surface to grab the victim. The second method is the surface charge, where the shark will swim partly our of the water until it makes its move of the prey. Lastly, the rarest method of hunting is the inverted method, where the shark swims on its back towards its prey. SHARK ACADEMY: The Great White Shark!Great White TeethGreat White Sharks are famous for their teeth. Oftentimes when one thinks of a Great White, their large mouths and hundreds of huge, sharp teeth are the first images that come to mind. Believe it or not, these sharks have several rows that can hold up to approximately 300 serrated (jagged) teeth in their mouths at one time. In fact, Great Whites can loose up to 1,000 teeth in a lifespan! These factors make it so easy to understand why most are absolutely and completely terrified of these incredible predators. Sense of SmellThe other features of the Great White are just as awesome and helpful as their mouths. Their sense of smell is so unbelievably acute, that they have the ability to smell a single drop of blood in 25 gal (100 L) of water. Not only that, but Great White Sharks can sense blood in the water up to 3 mi (5 km) away! This shark’s sense of smell is almost unreal. You would think that this was more than enough to aid the Great White Shark in finding and demolishing prey, but no, there’s more. They can also sense animal generated electromagnetic fields. Eye ProtectionThe animals that become victims of the Great White are not known to just give up and die; they fight for their lives. Therefore, it is not uncommon to find scars and scratches upon the snouts of many Great Whites. Luckily for the sharks, they have yet another mechanism concerning their eyes that helps to protect them from struggling prey, or anything else that may harm them. These sharks can actually roll their eyes back, thus preventing the most vital parts of the eye from being scratched. How cool is that! Average Age Of A Great WhiteMost Great Whites can live up to 30-70 years. But there is still quite a bit of mystery surrounding the growth, development, and social behaviors as well as how offspring are raised (if they are “raised” at all, that is). Its roots can be traced back to ancient times. The Great White may have derived from the Megalodon Shark but others believe the Mako Shark was its predecessor. Great White Shark ReproductionOne of the issues with Great White Sharks is their ability to reproduce. There are several factors that are unknown when discussing Great White Shark reproduction. What we can infer is that the Great White Shark reproduction process is long, sparse, and doesn’t yield enough offspring to remain off the endangered list. The Birthing Process Here is what we know so far regarding the Great White Shark reproduction process. The Great White Shark is ovoviviparous. In other words, a shark grows inside an egg and hatches inside the mother. Afterward, the shark pup is born. While they are still in the womb, the shark pup will feed on the unfertilized eggs in order to keep growing. This method of feeding is known as oophagy. The gestation period takes longer than what we are used to. It is estimated that the Whale Shark pregnancy cycle is about 12 to 18 months. The size of the litter can vary for great white sharks, but the common range is about two to ten pups. However, there have been reports of litters carrying around 17 pups. When they are born, Great White Shark pups will measure around 5 feet (1.5 meters) and weigh about 77 pounds (35 kilograms). These sharks grow slowly and take considerable time to mature and produce offspring. Males are able to reach maturity at the age of 9 or 10, while females mature at ages 14-16. It is believed by scientists that these sharks can live up to 70 years. With that in mind, Great White Shark reproduction can only occur during a relatively short timeframe. Because of the long gestation period, it’s possible that female Great Wwhites give birth every other year, taking some time to rest after mating. This low reproductive rate and slow growth to maturity are concerns to Great White conservationists. Scientists are interested in learning more about the shark’s reproductive habits so that they will know better what conservation methods are needed. HabitatAlthough Great White Sharks love the coastal areas in all oceans from all over the world, they typically live on the outskirts of shore waters. Sometimes, they stray into the deep Ocean and are even found in depths of 1000 meters (3,280ft) or more! But their preferred water temperature is from 15C to 24C (59F to 75F), so most of the time they stay in shallow waters and near the surface. Great White Shark Habitat Sensory SystemLike all other shark species, Great White Sharks have a special sense of feeling in what is known as the Ampullae of Lerenzini. Basically, they are electro receptors, forming a network of jelly filled pores. This electro receptor allows them to track their prey through their mouths. So whenever a potential prey is moving, the Great White can pick up on its electric field. Their sensitivity is so great that they can actually sense a half a billionth of 1 volt. That means, if you’re in the ocean and remain completely still, the shark can pick up on your beating heart from several miles away. Isn’t that amazing!? SocializationThe 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. Human InteractionAlthough there are many movies and television shows depicting the horrors of Great White Sharks and the horrible things that they do to humans, the truth is these sharks really are not interested in human flesh. There have definitely been shark attacks, however, it is very rare for attacks to be fatal to the human. When a Great White attacks a human, it is usually a mistake. People can very easily be mistaken as a sea lion or a seal from below; therefore the shark goes after them not realizing who they are. This is why these attacks rarely end in the death of a person. Once the shark realizes that they are indeed attacking a person, they back off. This may not be what is shown in thriller movies, but it is the truth. Not only are these sharks not interested in eating humans, but also it is in people’s best interests to not desire to eat Great White Sharks. They have extremely high levels of mercury in their bodies, thus making Great White meat unsafe for human consumption. Despite the fact that humans do not typically eat Great Whites for this reason, they still happen to be overfished and Bycatch victims, thus making them an endangered species. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of available information regarding the actual population of these sharks, but it is believed by some scientists that there are less than 10,000 Great White Sharks left in the world. We can only hope that this problem is soon resolved as they play a very important role in the fragile aquatic ecosystem. 50 Cool Facts About Great White SharksDoes any other shark capture our imagination like the Great White? As the largest predatory fish in our ocean, these fearsome animals inspire awe and respect. Here are 50 cool facts about these incredible creatures:
Bonus Video: 10 Facts About The Great White Shark What is an average sharks weight?SHARK SIZES. How heavy is the heaviest shark?Whale sharks (opens in new tab) (Rhincodon typus) are the biggest filter-feeding sharks and the biggest fish in the world. They usually grow to between 18 and 33 feet (5 to 10 m) long and weigh around 21 tons (19 metric tons).
How heavy is a 5 ft shark?Estimated Shark Weights. How heavy is a 20 foot shark?The world's biggest known great white shark is Deep Blue, which is 20 feet long, weighs over 5,500 pounds and is thought to be over 50 years old. At 20ft, the shark that attacked Bruemmer would be one of the world's biggest great whites.
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