Great White Shark

Great White Shark facts at a glance

How big is a great white shark?

An adult great white shark measures 4.6 m long — about 2.7× the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 1100 kg, about 16× an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of great white sharks called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Size and appearance

Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish on Earth, typically measuring 4 to 4.6 m (13 to 15 ft), though exceptional individuals exceed 6 m. Mature adults commonly weigh between 680 and 1,100 kg (1,500 to 2,400 lb), and some are heavier still. Their name comes from the stark white underside, which contrasts with a slate-grey back that camouflages them against the seabed when viewed from above. This countershading lets them approach prey from below almost unseen.

Hunting and diet

Great whites are carnivores that feed mainly on seals, sea lions, fish, and rays, shifting toward larger marine mammals as they grow. They often attack from directly beneath their target, rushing upward in a single explosive strike that can briefly reach 56 km/h (35 mph). Rows of serrated, triangular teeth are continuously replaced throughout the shark's life, so a worn or broken tooth is quickly succeeded by a fresh one behind it. After a heavy meal, a great white can go weeks before needing to feed again.

Senses and navigation

Great whites have an extraordinary array of senses tuned for hunting in open water. Special jelly-filled pores called the ampullae of Lorenzini detect the faint electrical fields produced by other animals, allowing the shark to sense prey even when it cannot see it. A keen sense of smell can pick up traces of blood diluted in vast volumes of seawater, and a sensitive lateral line registers pressure changes and movement nearby. Together these senses make the great white a formidable and precise predator.

Habitat and range

Great white sharks live in cool and temperate coastal waters across the globe, from the coasts of South Africa and Australia to California and the Mediterranean. They favour productive areas near seal colonies, rocky reefs, and offshore islands, but they also undertake long migrations across open ocean. Satellite tracking has revealed individuals crossing entire ocean basins and diving to considerable depths. This wide, patchy distribution makes the species difficult to survey accurately.

Reproduction and growth

Great whites are slow to mature, with females often not breeding until around 30 years of age. They are ovoviviparous, meaning the young develop inside eggs that hatch within the mother, and pups are born live after a gestation thought to last roughly a year. Litters are small, usually a handful of pups, each already more than a metre long and independent from birth. This slow reproductive pace, combined with a lifespan of up to 70 years, means populations recover only very gradually from losses.

Why it is vulnerable

The IUCN classifies the great white shark as Vulnerable, reflecting long-term declines in many regions. Accidental capture in fishing gear, targeted hunting for jaws and teeth, and the depletion of prey have all taken a toll, made worse by the species' late maturity and low birth rate. Great whites are effectively impossible to keep in aquariums, as they fare poorly in captivity and rarely survive long. Legal protection in countries such as South Africa, Australia, and the United States has become central to safeguarding the remaining population.

Did you know? Great White Shark facts

• Great whites are the largest predatory fish alive, with big females reaching around 6 m (20 ft).
• They are regional endotherms: a counter-current heat-exchange system keeps their core warmer than the surrounding sea.
• Newborn pups are already 1.2–1.5 m long and fully independent — there is no parental care.
• Great whites can detect tiny electrical fields from prey using gel-filled pores called the ampullae of Lorenzini.
• They often hunt with an explosive vertical ambush from below, sometimes breaching clear of the water.
• Humans are not natural prey; many bites are exploratory, which is why a large share are not fatal.
• Great whites undertake long trans-oceanic migrations tracked over thousands of kilometres.

Diet & feeding

Diet shifts with size: smaller sharks take fish, rays, and other sharks, while large adults specialise on energy-rich pinnipeds such as seals and sea lions, supplemented by opportunistic scavenging of whale carcasses.

Adaptations

• A modified circulatory system (rete mirabile) lets them retain muscle heat, boosting power in cold water. (Compagno 2001)
• The ampullae of Lorenzini sense the faint bioelectric fields of hidden or buried prey.
• Triangular, serrated teeth are continuously replaced and are ideal for shearing flesh and blubber.
• Countershaded colouring — dark above, white below — conceals the shark during upward ambushes.
• Highly sensitive smell and a lateral line detect blood and vibration at long range.

Behaviour & ecology

• Juveniles eat mainly fish and rays; adults shift to fat-rich marine mammals as their teeth broaden.
• Typical predation is a single powerful strike followed by a wait while the prey weakens (bite-and-spit).
• Great whites readily scavenge whale carcasses, with multiple individuals feeding together.
• Some populations show apparent size-based dominance hierarchies at feeding sites.

Communication

• Interactions appear governed by body language — posturing, gaping, and giving way — rather than sound.
• Non-contact threat displays may help individuals avoid injury when competing over food.

Habitat & range

Great whites range through cool and temperate coastal and offshore waters worldwide, concentrating near seal and sea-lion colonies off California, South Africa, and southern Australia, but also crossing open ocean on long migrations.

Ecological role

As an apex marine predator, the great white influences the numbers and behaviour of seals, sea lions, and smaller sharks, helping structure coastal marine ecosystems from the top down.

Conservation status of the Great White Shark

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Great White Shark:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Vulnerable) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Carcharodon carcharias, most recently assessed in 2022.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Carcharodon carcharias. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Carcharodon carcharias. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• Rigby, C. L. et al. (2019). Carcharodon carcharias. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

  Conservation status (Vulnerable) and threats.

• Compagno, L. J. V. (2001). Sharks of the World. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes.

  Taxonomy, physiology, and biology.

• Klimley, A. P. & Ainley, D. G. (eds.) (1996). Great White Sharks: The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias. Academic Press.

  Hunting behaviour and ecology.

• Animal Diversity Web — Carcharodon carcharias. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Size, reproduction, and range.

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.