Getting to Know the Great White Shark

By: Kate M. Serrano

To those who have ticked swimming off their bucket list after watching episodes of “Jaws”, the great white sharks may have struck them as vicious man eaters. Partly correct, partly incorrect. Although the great whites (Carcharodon carcharias) are the world’s largest known predators of marine mammals and are ranked first in having the most attacks on human, we are not their preferred prey. Great whites are very curious and most so-called “attacks” appear to be motivated by curiosity rather than a desire to feed. Their attacks on humans are rare and not fatal. It is their size and efficiency as predators that inflict unnecessary fear. Great whites use their speed and coloring for hunting. They search for prey at the surface while swimming below. Once a target is identified, they use a burst of speed to bump the poor prey while simultaneously biting it. They have thousands of teeth that are sharp and strong enough to tear their bigger preys apart. As teeth fall out, they are rapidly replaced by those in the row behind them. Therefore, unless you’re a seal, a fish an orca, sailing the deep ocean is not much to be fearful about.

Ironically, the great white is far more threatened by humans than we are of them. They have very less commercial value yet the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature) have listed them as vulnerable and is on the verge of being endangered due to overfishing  –they are often killed for sport and for their jaws, teeth and fins. Marine biologists do not have the exact numbers on the great white population, but they're seen very rarely. Lucky enough great white sharks have are protected in South Africa, Australia and the United States. How can we help? Stop the purchase of great white jaws or items made from their fins.