Facts About Great White Sharks

The main characteristics of Great White Sharks are:

Body Type

The first thing that sets the Great White Shark apart from other types of sharks is the appearance that they have. Specifically, their fins are different than other species, as there are only two fins closer to the front of the shark, which are accompanied by tail fins. Other distinctions include the point of the nose and the colouring of grey on top with white underneath the body.

More than this, the Great White Shark is known for it's large size. The average size of sharks is between 13 and 16 feet, while weighing up to 2500 pounds. Typically, females are slightly larger than the male species, with some variations on the amount that they carry through the ocean. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest recorded shark was at 36 feet with a weight being over 5,000 pounds.

Habitat

While some sharks will live in certain areas of the ocean, the Great White Shark is known for taking it's place all over the sea. Typically, they will like to stay in waters that are between 50 and 75 degrees. Because of this, they can remain close to any land line around the equator, with large populations being around places such as South Africa, the Caribbean and Australia.

If the temperatures change during different seasons, the sharks will move into warmer climates through migration. One of the most well known changes in the water for sharks is when they move from the Caribbean during the warm seasons to the California coast, allowing them to keep in the same temperature.

One of the ways that Great White Sharks are able to move so freely around the ocean area is through adaptations to the water. Even though they have a specific temperature in which they acquire, there is also an ability for the sharks to stay slightly warmer than the temperature that is surrounding them. This is done with a 'net like' structure that is on the sharks and is created through their veins and arteries. These surround their body in order to keep a steady flow of warmed muscles and blood.

Image courtesy of Chris Huh

Eating Habits

One of the most well known myths about the Great White Shark is that they survive through constant attacks. Most human attacks are by these types of sharks and their predator approaches are ones that are considered to be some of the most well known. However, Great White Sharks are not as viscous as most suspect. They will move after prey that have high amounts of the right fat, which helps them to keep more energy stored for themselves. Most likely, you will catch them eating dolphins, fish, seals and sea lions.

The way that Great White Sharks are able to sense which type of food to eat is through senses that allow them to know when there is food that is far away. They will then wait until the food moves a little closer, then attack by swiftly moving towards the prey. Their ability to maneuver quickly is what allows them to make the attack that they want.

The species of the Great White Shark is one that has adapted to the ocean in a way that allows it to dominate it's area. Through it's senses, abilities to manoeuvre into the right areas of the land and it's extra perceptions, the Great White Shark has become one of the most known creatures of the sea.

Image courtesy of Chris Huh