Cartilaginous fish · Lamniformes · Lamnidae
Carcharodon carcharias
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
The largest predatory fish in the ocean, with an extraordinary sense of smell able to detect a drop of blood in 100 litres of water.
Weight
680 kg – 1.1 t
Size
4 m – 6 m
Life expectancy
40 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: MarineBio; A-Z Animals; Animal Diversity Web; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animalia.bio; Hamady et al. 2014 (PubMed, estudio de radiocarbono)
Best time: April to September in South Africa
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 20 of 47.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Great White Shark — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The great white shark is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as Shark Research Institute work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
Visit the Shark Research Institute websiteIt's documented in 12 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about great white shark.
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The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.
