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Great White Shark & Great White Shark Pictures
The Great White Shark is a solitary predator that can grow up to 6.6 metres (21 feet) in length. The largest Great White Sharks are known to exist in southern Australia where there have been reports of up to 8 metres (26 feet) in length! The great White is a lone predator often traveling large distances. Some Great Whites have been tracking swimming from Australia to South Africa. Great White Sharks have a worldwide reputation for being "man eaters", thanks to films like Jaws. It's possible that the Great White is the most feared animal on earth. But despite it's reputation very little is known about the Great White. The fact is that Great Whites are not man eaters at all and most shark attacks involving Great Whites are a case of mistaken identity. In almost all cases the shark attack victim is not eaten, just bitten. Shark Size: Great White Sharks are born at about a metre in length (3.3 feet) and usually grow to a full size of about 6-6.6 metres (18-21 feet). The biggest Great Whites have been reported to grow up to 8 metres (26 feet) in length. Male and female sharks are of similar size. Habitat: Sightings of Great White Sharks usually occur around continental shelves and rocky reef areas. However, Great Whites spend most of their time cruising in the open water at depths of up to 1300 metres (4300 feet). Great Whites prefer the cool southern waters of temperatures around 12-21 degrees. Locations: The Great White Shark is widely distributed throughout the cool southern oceans. Southern Australia and South Africa have high populations of Great Whites. The cool southern currents also bring Great White Sharks as far north as California.
Feeding: What a Great White eats heavily depends on it's size. A young shark of up to 3 metres (10 feet) will feed on mainly large bottom dwelling fish. The teeth of a young Great White Shark are more suited to eating whole prey. As the Great White Shark matures it's prey changes to sea lions, seals, sea otters, dolphins and even smaller sharks. The teeth of a fully matured Great White Shark are larger, serrated and triangular, making them perfect for biting chunks out of and tearing apart it's prey. In some areas Great White Sharks feed on large fish, sting rays and whale carcasses. Behavior: Great Whites are lone sharks and are only found in numbers when they're breeding or there is a food source available (for example a whale carcass). Little in known about the sharks breeding habits. When a Great White Sharks breeds depends on the availability or food and temperatures of the ocean. Interaction with other sharks works on a size based hierarchy, where the biggest shark is at the top. It's not uncommon for sharks to get aggressive and bite each other, especially when there's food available and many sharks. Generally, a smaller shark will give way to a large shark. Diving with Great White Sharks: Because of their aggressive nature, size and unpredictability the only safe way to dive with Great White Sharks is from the safety of a cage. In some area (esp Southern California) it is possible to open water dive with Great Whites. However this is done at the divers own risk, and small injuries are common. Cage diving with Great Whites does not require an scuba diving qualifications because you are only slightly submerged underneath the waters surface. Cage diving is vary safe and cage diving operators have to adhere to strict regulations. Places to see: The most common places to see Great White Sharks are in South Africa, South Australia and the southern coast of California. High season depends on location, but shark tours are usually run all year round.
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