Keeping the ocean in check: Great White Sharks

Great white sharks can be found throughout the world’s oceans, mostly in cool waters close to the coast. They are the largest predatory fish on our planet.

They can live for 30 years, weigh up to 6,600 pounds, and can grow up to 20 feet in length. That’s half the length of a bus! Great white sharks are grey with a white underbelly, from where they get their name.

They have a streamlined shape and powerful tails that propel them through the water at over 37 MPH (60km/h)! This marine beast’s mouth is equipped with a set of 300 sharp, triangular teeth arranged in up to seven rows.

They have a sixth sense around their head with special nerve receptors that allow them to sense electromagnetic fields and temperature changes in the water. The Great White Sharks ancestry dates back more than 400 million years and existed before the dinosaurs.

Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are the only natural predator of white sharks. They have been well documented killing white sharks in California only to eat the liver. Great White Sharks play a vital role in the ocean ecosystem by keeping other animal populations in check.