Interesting Facts about Great White Sharks

Great white sharks are some of the most awe-inspiring — and misunderstood — animals on land or sea. The largest predatory fish on Earth, these sharks weigh several thousand pounds when fully grown. They often hunt seals from below, resulting in a spectacular “breach” behavior in which the sharks launch themselves as much as 10 feet out of the water.

While they are sometimes hunted by orca whales, their largest threat comes from human beings. Great white sharks are hunted for their jaws and fins, killed accidentally as gillnet bycatch, or even killed intentionally in misguided and ineffective culls to make beachgoers feel safer. For divers interested in swimming with these incredible animals, focused dive operations (often involving a shark cage) can be found in Mexico, Australia, South Africa and a few other locations.

Interesting Facts about Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias)

Where to find them: Temperate waters worldwide, with concentrations in South Africa, Australia and the west coast of North America.

Threat Level: IUCN Red List “Vulnerable,” CITES Appendix II.

Maximum size: The largest scientifically measured great white was approximately 21 feet long.

Did You Know? Though the iconic film Jaws was about a great white shark, many experts believe that the real-life incident that inspired the story involved a bull shark.

Love scuba diving with sharks? So do we. Visit the Sharks section of our website for more.

David Shiffman is a Ph.D. student at the University of Miami’s Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, where he studies shark ecology and conservation. Shiffman is happy to answer any questions you have about sharks on Twitter (@WhySharksMatter) or Facebook (facebook.com/WhySharksMatter).