Great White Sharks

Great White Sharks The white shark, commonly called the great white shark, is one of the most iconic and feared creatures of the ocean. With its razor-sharp teeth and menacing appearance, it certainly looks dangerous. But the more we learn about this creature, the more we learn they are not indiscriminate predators, and definitely dont prefer humans as prey. Great White Shark Identification Great white sharks are relatively large, although likely not as large as they might be in our imagination. The largest shark species is a plankton eater, the whale shark. Great whites average about 10-15 feet in length, and their maximum size is estimated at a length of 20 feet and weight of 4,200 pounds. Females are generally larger than males. They have a stout body, black eyes, a steel gray back, and a white underside. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ChondrichthyesSubclass: ElasmobranchiiOrder: LamniformesFamily: LamnidaeGenus: CarcharodonSpecies: Carcharias Habitat Great white sharks are widely distributed across the worlds oceans. This shark resides mostly in temperate waters in the pelagic zone. They can range to depths over 775 feet. They may patrol coastal areas inhabited by pinnipeds. Feeding The white shark is an active predator, and primarily eats marine mammals such as pinnipeds and toothed whales. They also sometimes eat sea turtles. The great whites predatory behavior is poorly understood, but scientists are beginning to learn more about their curious nature. When a shark is presented with an unfamiliar object, it will attack it to determine if it is a potential food source, often using the technique of a surprise attack from below. If the object is determined unpalatable (which is usually the case when a great white bites a human), the shark releases the prey and determines not to eat it. This is evidenced by seabirds and sea otters with wounds from white shark encounters. Reproduction White sharks give birth to live young, making white sharks viviparous. The embryos hatch in uteri and are nourished by eating unfertilized eggs. They are 47-59 inches at birth. There is much more to learn about this sharks reproduction. Gestation is estimated at about one year, although its exact length is unknown, and the average litter size of a white shark is also unknown. Shark Attacks While great white shark attacks arent a big threat to humans in the grand scheme of things (youre more likely to die from a lightning strike, alligator attack, or on a bicycle than from a great white shark attack), white sharks are the number one species identified in unprovoked shark attacks, a statistic that doesnt do much for their reputation. This is more likely because of their investigation of potential prey than a desire to eat humans. Sharks prefer fatty prey with lots of blubber, like seals and whales,  and dont generally like us; we have too much muscle! See the Florida Museum of Icthyologys Relative Risk of Shark Attacks to Humans site for more information on how likely you are to be attacked by a shark versus other dangers. That said, nobody wants to be attacked by a shark. So if youre in an area where sharks may be seen, reduce your risk by following these shark attack tips. Conservation The white shark is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because they tend to reproduce slowly and are vulnerable to targeted white shark fisheries and as bycatch in other fisheries. Because of their fierce reputation gained from Hollywood movies such as Jaws, there is an illicit trade in white shark products such as jaws and teeth.