Overview
The great white shark is probably the most famous shark on Earth, and for good reason. It is the largest predatory fish alive, built like a living torpedo with a pointed snout, dark gray back, and a bright white belly. That two-tone coloring is a clever trick called countershading. From above, the dark back blends with the deep water, and from below the white belly blends with the bright sky, so the shark is hard to spot from either direction.
Despite their scary reputation from movies, great whites are curious, careful hunters and not mindless monsters. They mostly eat seals and sea lions, and they rely on incredible senses to find a meal, including a special ability to feel the tiny electric signals given off by other animals. Scientists still have a lot to learn about them, because these sharks travel enormous distances across the open ocean and are tricky to follow.
| Where it lives | Cool and warm coastal seas, often near seal and sea lion colonies |
| Range | Worldwide temperate and subtropical seas, from South Africa to California, Australia, and the Mediterranean |
| Adult size | Up to about 20 ft (6 m), though most are 11 to 16 ft |
| Diet | Seals, sea lions, fish, rays, and other sharks; young ones eat mostly fish |
| Lifespan | 70 years or more |
| Depth or habitat | Surface down to about 1,200 m, mostly in the sunlit upper water near coasts |
| Keep at home? | No, a huge wild ocean predator that needs the whole sea to roam |
Built to hunt
A great white is shaped for speed and power. Its stiff, muscular body and crescent-shaped tail let it burst forward in fast bursts, and unlike most fish it can keep its muscles warmer than the surrounding water, which helps it stay strong and quick in cold seas. Its mouth is lined with rows of large, triangular teeth with serrated edges like a steak knife. When a tooth breaks or falls out, a new one rotates forward to replace it, so the shark never runs out.
Super senses
Great whites find food using an amazing toolkit of senses. They can smell a tiny amount of blood in the water from far away, feel vibrations through a line of sensors along their body, and even detect the faint electric fields that every living animal produces, thanks to jelly-filled pores on their snout called ampullae of Lorenzini. When hunting seals, they often attack from below in a fast surprise rush, sometimes launching their whole body out of the water in a move called breaching.
Ocean travelers
These sharks do not stay in one place. Tagging studies have shown great whites crossing entire oceans, and some swim thousands of miles between feeding grounds. Off California, some travel far out to a mysterious mid-ocean spot researchers nicknamed the White Shark Cafe. They tend to gather near seal colonies when the hunting is good, then wander off across the open sea when it is time to move on.
Are they dangerous?
Great whites look frightening, but attacks on people are very rare, and most bites are thought to be a case of mistaken identity, when a surfer or swimmer looks a bit like a seal from below. The shark usually lets go once it realizes a human is not its normal food. Far more sharks are harmed by people than the other way around. Great whites are listed as vulnerable, and they are protected by law in many countries to help their slow-growing populations recover.
Slow to grow
One reason great whites need protection is that they grow up very slowly. They may not be ready to have pups until they are in their twenties or thirties, and females give birth to only a small number of well-developed pups at a time. A shark that takes so long to reproduce cannot bounce back quickly if too many are caught, which is why careful protection matters so much for this species.
Fun facts
- A great white can sense a single drop of blood mixed into a very large amount of water.
- It keeps its body warmer than the sea around it, which is unusual for a fish.
- Great whites can leap completely out of the water when chasing seals, a move called breaching.
- They lose and replace thousands of teeth over a lifetime.
- Some great whites have been tracked swimming all the way across an ocean.
Frequently asked questions
How big does a great white get?
The biggest ones reach about 20 ft (6 m) long, roughly the length of a small bus, though most are around 11 to 16 ft.
Is it dangerous to people?
Serious attacks are very rare. Most bites are believed to be mistakes, and the shark usually swims off once it realizes a person is not a seal.
What does it eat?
Mainly seals and sea lions when it is grown, plus fish, rays, and smaller sharks. Young great whites eat mostly fish.
Are great whites endangered?
They are listed as vulnerable, meaning their numbers are at risk, so many countries protect them by law.
Can you keep one in an aquarium?
No. Great whites almost never survive in tanks because they need to swim huge distances in the open ocean, so no aquarium keeps one long term.
