The great white
shark is one of the most recognizable sharks in the world. The only shark
larger than a great white is the whale shark. Great white shark have been found
in each of the world’s ocean’s. Even
though they have been spotted in waters as shallow as three feet (one meter)
deep, these sharks spend most of their time in deep coastal waters.
The great white
shark is related to the prehistiric Megalodon shark, which grew to over
sixty-five feet (20 meters). The largest great white shark found have been over
twenty feet (six meters) long. Like the Megalodon, great white sharks are up to
threee inches (seven centimeters) long and as they break off or wear out, new
teeth grow in to replace them.
One of the most
noticeable features of the great white
is the dorsal fin which rises out of the water when a great white swims near
the surfance of the ocean. The fins on
either side of the shark are called pectoral fins and they help to direct the
shark closer to the surfance or deeper into sea. The shark’s tail is powered by
very strong muscles. It sweeps of up to fifteen miles per hour (twenty-four
kilometers per hour). And can have sudden powerful bursts of speed up to
twenty-five miles per hour (forty kilometers per hour).
The great white
shark has special receptors in its snout, or nose, that help it feel electrical
pulses from prey. They also have sensors in their skin that help them to feel vibrations
in the water. The main diet of this csrnivore is large fish, squid, seals, sea
lions, dolphins, and turtles. When a great white shark is feeding, it ca roll
back its eyes to protect them.
Because great
white shark are so dangerous, little is known about them in wild. Great white
sharks have never been kept in captivity for longer than seven mounths, so
scientists are unsure hove long they live. It is belived that their life span
is almost thirty year.
The great white
shark is the most feared predator of the ocean, by people and by sea creatures
alike!
