Sharks have long been swimming in the waters of North Pacific Ocean before anything human-like walked on the planet. They have evolved into various forms, many of which show mysterious behavior. White sharks are not easy to study as it offers numerous challenges to the scientists. Besides, many scientists could not even assume the significance of white sharks in the Alaskan waters. Most shark species are in between 15 cm to 1 meter, but white sharks are large.
How Big is a Great White Shark
General Characteristics and Locations
White sharks can reach up to 21.3 ft (6.5 m) and more commonly to 18 ft (5.5 m). They are found in coastal marine waters and oceanic tropical islands. They are known to swim in shallow waters either near the surface or close to the bottom. Some of them are found deep down as far as 4,199 ft (1,280 m).
Read More: How long do Great White Sharks get?
They are nomadic species but they also feed in group consisting of ten individuals. White sharks occasionally jump out of the water—a behavior called breaching. They normally circle their prey and are able to make great bursts of speed. White sharks’ eyes roll back in their sockets while eating.
It won’t be an exaggeration if I say that white sharks are notorious of all sharks. It possesses an undeserved reputation as a ‘man-eater’. White sharks rarely attack humans. Almost 80% of sharks’ attacks is found in tropics where white sharks seldom exist.
The great white shark Carcharodon carcharias does have an ability to camouflage itself when viewed either from above or from below. It seems like the color of the belly is white but it is silhouette when looked at from below. It serves as an important ability for a predator because it helps shark to hunt an unsuspecting prey. However, the camouflaging ability does not seem to work best when humans attempt to catch white sharks.
They are extremely bulky in comparison to other shark species. White sharks possess a large dorsal fin along with the large and powerful tail. White shark’s tail is often seen cutting through the waters when they swim near water surfaces.
They have large triangular teeth that have serrated edges on the lower and top jaws. These teeth are powerful enough to rip off large chunks of flesh. They swim in almost every major oceans of the world except near the poles. White sharks swim in Polar Regions only when these waters go warm because of global warming.
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