Great white shark: characteristics and range. Flight of the great white shark. Stunning photos Where the great white shark lives

When it comes to animal stereotypes, you can't find a more controversial character than the great white shark. Several powerful myths have taken root in the human mind. We attribute bloodthirstiness and vindictiveness to the predator, so many travelers prefer not to go to the open sea. We consider her a cannibal, but in fact there are much more dangerous inhabitants in the ocean. The reality is that this predator is not even white.

How did the shark get its name?

The great white shark is accustomed to a wide variety of food. And if in her youth she dines mainly with fish, then in adulthood she hunts penguins, turtles, squids and even whales. Aboriginal people from different countries came up with their own nicknames for the formidable predator. During the hunt, when the fishermen drag the immobilized carcass of an animal onto the deck of the ship, they throw the prey on their back and see a perfectly white belly in front of them. Probably, this circumstance gave rise to the official name of the species. In fact, the upper part of the predator's body is dark, almost black. It might as well have been called the great black shark.

Disguise

Nature gave the great white shark a dark colored body to help it hunt. When an animal emerges from the murky waters of the deep sea, unsuspecting victims cannot instantly orient themselves in the situation and do not have time to hide in a secluded place.

Gastronomic preferences of sharks change with age

If you make a list of everything that has ever been found in the stomach of a formidable predator, it will take up a lot of space on paper. Only one thing is clear to oceanologists: the tastes of an animal change with age, as individuals age. While the size of the shark does not exceed two and a half meters, the individual's diet is exclusively fish. When an animal grows in size and reaches sexual maturity, it begins to feed on mammals. Older sharks prefer seals, sea lions and walruses. When they attack from below, at speed, the victim has no chance of salvation.

The possibilities of the sense organs

The great white shark is endowed with a range of senses that complement each other. Before us is a skillful, dexterous and insidious hunter. Maybe that's why people attribute to this predator all the existing earthly sins. The most subtle instrument deserving our attention is the shark's hearing.

In 1963, scientists conducted a study off the coast of Miami. A speaker was installed on the edge of the boat, which attracted the predator with sound. The tape recorded low-frequency pulses, similar to those emitted by fish in distress. Very soon, scientists discovered a whole flock of sharks near them. Despite the fact that sharks of other species “participated” in that experiment, there is no doubt that the great white shark has fine hearing.

Also predators are endowed with a good sense of smell. In order to smell the blood, the shark does not need to get too close to its prey. A bleeding victim at a distance of 400 meters can only be saved thanks to his excellent dexterity. Here is a curious fact: scientists have found that the olfactory bulb of the great white shark is larger than the part of the brain responsible for the sense of smell in all its fellow species. If we talk about the vision of a predator, then it cannot be considered ideal. She is especially good at distinguishing contrasts.

Additional Benefits

In addition to the sense organs that are well known to man, the great white shark is endowed with additional advantages. Lateral lines, which are clearly visible along the body of the animal, have the ability to record changes in water pressure. Thus, the shark is always aware of the movements of its prey. Well, after she gets close to the target, electromagnetic fields come to the rescue. According to scientists, all of these tools together make the great white shark an ideal predator.

Suppressing Fear Enables Salvation

Brave travelers, explorers of the deep sea know that when meeting with a formidable predator, you must be able to suppress your fear. According to statistics, in 2013, 76 unprovoked shark attacks on people were recorded in the world, 10 of which were fatal. And only one of these deaths was associated with a great white shark. If we consider the statistics for a decade, then on average a predator attacks people twice a year.

A five-meter female can have up to ten embryos in the womb. Sharks do not spawn or lay eggs, they give birth to live young. And in this they are like people.

The great white shark can live in both very warm and very cold waters. This is made possible by the fact that the arteries and veins run in parallel in several parts of her body. Therefore, the heat that the muscles of the predator produce is stored in the body, and not lost in the ocean.

Bloodthirsty and huge monsters of the ocean - this is the image of a shark, replicated by cinema and literature. How much does a shark weigh and are these representatives of the ocean fauna so dangerous?

Sharks - inhabitants of the deep sea

The name is a collective image. An ordinary person immediately imagines a fish from horror films. But sharks are a superorder of cartilaginous fish, which includes about 450 species. The features of these animals are a torpedo-shaped body, a large heterocercal fin on the back, a lot of teeth on both jaws. Among sharks, there are both exceptional predators and peaceful eaters of plankton. The sizes of sharks are different, body length varies from 17 centimeters to 20 meters. How much does a shark weigh? It depends on its size. Representatives of this superorder live mainly in the salt waters of the seas and oceans, but there are also those who live in fresh waters. We will get acquainted with exceptionally large species and find out how much the largest shark weighs.

1st place: whale shark

That's why she's called that because she's the biggest among her friends. Representatives of the species live in the northern and southern seas. And it is the northern ones that are much larger. Whale sharks reach a body length of up to 20 meters and weigh up to 20 tons. Caught in 1949 near Baba Island, the individual was 12.5 meters long and weighed 20 tons. It is a grey-brown giant with white spots that have a unique arrangement for each individual. These sharks live for about 70 years, and what is most surprising is that they are filter feeders. This means that they feed by filtering water and filtering out plankton. During the day, such a fish pumps 350 tons of water and eats 200 kilograms of plankton. Up to 5 people can fit in the mouth of a whale shark, the jaws are covered with 15 thousand small teeth. However, she herself never attacks people, and many scuba divers even manage to touch her. Whale sharks are slow and little studied. Their number is quite small, so the species is listed in the Red Book.

2nd Place: Elephant Shark

The championship in size with the whale shark is shared by the elephant shark. This fish is up to 15 meters long and weighs up to 6 tons. A species that is on the verge of extinction. The shark really looks like an elephant with sunken cheeks because of its widely spaced mouth up to 3 meters in diameter and with many small teeth. The huge size (another name for this shark is giant) makes the fish inactive. They are also filter feeders, but unlike cetaceans, they live in flocks. Approaching such a flock is dangerous: a wave of the tail will easily kill the scuba diver.

3rd place: white shark

The next in our ranking is the shark, the representative of the most dangerous animals on the planet - the white shark. This is exactly the monster from the horror movies. For 30 years of its life, it grows up to 6.5 meters in length, and 300 sharp teeth arranged in three rows are updated every three months. The shark itself is gray, but its belly is white. This is an exceptional predator: in the diet of both fish and marine mammals. Representatives of the species live in all oceans, with the exception of the Arctic. The greatest number of attacks on humans belongs to these predators of the depths. How much a great white shark weighs is a moot point. The recorded case is a shark 6.4 meters long and weighing 3 tons. She was caught in 1945, and so far this is the largest white shark.

4th place: tiger shark

The most common representative of sharks in the world's oceans. It got its name for the dark stripes on the body. A predator that does not hesitate to attack a person. In the West Indies, it is considered the most dangerous representative of marine life. How much does a tiger shark weigh? According to statistics, up to 1.5 tons with a body length of up to 5.5 meters. At this size, she can hunt at depths of up to 3 meters and, surprisingly, does not live in captivity. It is a dangerous omnivorous predator. What was not found in the stomachs of tiger sharks! These are license plates of cars, and household items, and even a chicken coop with bones and feathers of its inhabitants (there was a precedent)!

5th place: polar shark

The dimensions of this representative of the genus are not so large compared to the leaders of the rating: body length - up to 5 meters, weight - about 1 ton. These active predators live in the northern seas and the Arctic Ocean. Another name is Greenland or ice. A deep-sea species whose diet is dominated by octopuses. The meat of this shark is saturated with ammonia due to the lack of a urinary system. But the Icelanders' favorite dish is "hakarl" - rotten ice shark meat. Interestingly, in the process of radiological examination of the lens of the eye, scientists found that a shark 5 meters long has an age of 270 to 512 years. Today it is the longest-lived due to low metabolism.

The biggest shark is dead

Paleontologists have presented fossils of the extinct ancestor of modern sharks - megalodon, the largest predator of all times and peoples. Megalodon lived 23-25 ​​million years ago. Its size can be judged from the fossils of teeth and several vertebrae. The estimated length of this predator is up to 12 meters. How much the megalodon shark weighs, of course, we know purely theoretically. But calculations show 42 tons.

Features of the growth of sharks

Like all fish, sharks grow throughout their lives. For example, it has been proven that the ice shark grows an average of 1 centimeter per year. These studies have not been conducted on other representatives, and we have yet to explore this area. Sharks don't live long in captivity - that's a fact. That is why their study progressed only with the development of radio-electronic methods. Ichthyologists and oceanologists are only accumulating research data on the life of these amazing predators. But thanks to the existing developments, we can find out how much a tiger, white or whale shark weighs.

So, now we know the giants of our time among sharks. But numerous, however, officially unconfirmed data indicate that the sailors also saw larger representatives of sharks. And some scientists argue that megalodons still swim in the unexplored depths of the seas and oceans. We will probably never know how much the world's largest shark weighs because we haven't caught it yet.

Original taken from masterok in flight of the great white shark

What have we already read about sharks:

Now let's study probably the most famous and bloodthirsty shark.

Great white shark (lat. Carcharodon carcharias)- also known as the white shark, white death, man-eating shark, carcharodon - an exceptionally large predatory fish found in the surface coastal waters of all the oceans of the Earth, except for the Arctic.

This predator owes its name to the white color of the abdominal part of the body, a broken border on the sides separated from the dark back. Reaching a length of over 7 meters and a mass of over 3,000 kg, the great white shark is the largest modern predatory fish (excluding plankton-eating whale and giant sharks).

In addition to its very large size, the great white shark has also gained the infamous fame of a merciless cannibal due to the numerous attacks on swimmers, divers and surfers that have taken place. The chances of surviving an attack by a man-eating shark in a person are much less than under the wheels of a truck. A powerful movable body, a huge mouth armed with sharp teeth and a passion for satisfying the hunger of this predator will not leave the victim hope of salvation if the shark is determined to profit from human flesh.

The great white shark is the only surviving species of its genus Carcharodon.
It is on the verge of extinction - there are only about 3,500 of them left on Earth.

The first scientific name, Squalus carcharias, was given to the great white shark by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
Zoologist E. Smith in 1833 assigned the generic name Carcharodon (Greek karcharos sharp + Greek odous - tooth). The final modern scientific name of the species was formed in 1873, when the Linnaean specific name was combined with the name of the genus under one term - Carcharodon carcharias.

The great white belongs to the family of herring sharks (Lamnidae), which includes four more species of marine predators: the mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), the longfin mako shark (Longfin mako), the Pacific salmon shark (Lamna ditropis) and the Atlantic herring shark (Lamna nasus).

The similarity in the structure and shape of the teeth, as well as the large size of the great white shark and the prehistoric megalodon, led to the fact that most scientists considered them to be closely related species. This assumption is reflected in the scientific name of the latter - Carcharodon megalodon.

At present, some scientists express doubts about the close relationship of carcharadon and megalodon, considering them to be distant relatives belonging to the family of herring sharks, but not so closely related. Recent studies suggest that the white shark is closer to the mako shark than to the megalodon. According to the theory put forward, the true ancestor of the great white shark is Isurus hastalis, while megalodons are directly related to sharks of the Carcharocle species. According to the same theory, Otodus obliquus is considered a representative of the ancient extinct branch of Carcharocles, megalodon olnius.

fossil tooth

The great white shark lives around the world in the coastal waters of the continental shelf, the temperature of which is from 12 to 24 degrees C. In colder waters, great white sharks are almost never found. They do not live in desalinated and low-salt seas either. So, for example, they were not met in our Black Sea, which is too fresh for them. In addition, there is not enough food in the Black Sea for such a large predator as the great white shark.

The habitat of the great white shark covers many coastal waters of the warm and temperate seas of the World Ocean. The above map shows that it can be found anywhere in the middle belt of the planet's oceans, except, of course, the Arctic.

In the south, they are not found further than the southern coast of Australia and the coast of South Africa. The most likely to meet great white sharks off the coast of California, near the Mexican island of Guadeloupe. Separate populations live in the central part of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea (Italy, Croatia), off the coast of New Zealand, where they are protected species.

Great white sharks often swim in small flocks.

One of the most significant populations has chosen Dyer Island (South Africa), which is the site of numerous scientific studies of this species of sharks. Relatively often, great white sharks are found in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya and near the Seychelles. Large populations have survived off the coast of California, Australia and New Zealand.

Carcharodons are epipelagic fish, their appearance is usually observed and recorded in coastal waters of the seas, abounding in such prey as fur seals, sea lions, whales, where other sharks and large bony fish live.
The great white shark is nicknamed the mistress of the ocean, as no one can compare with it in terms of the power of attacks among other fish and sea inhabitants. Only a large killer whale terrifies the carcharodon.
Great white sharks are capable of long-distance migrations and can dive to considerable depths: these sharks have been recorded at a depth of almost 1300 m.

Recent studies have shown that the great white shark migrates between Baja California (Mexico) and a place near Hawaii known as the White Shark Cafe, where they spend at least 100 days a year before migrating back to Baja California. Along the way, they swim slowly and dive to a depth of about 900 m. After arriving at the coast, they change their behavior. Dives are reduced to 300 m and last up to 10 minutes.

A great white shark tagged off the coast of South Africa has shown migration routes to and from the southern coast of Australia that it makes every year. The researchers found that the great white shark swims this route in less than 9 months. The entire length of the migration route is about 20 thousand km in both directions.
These studies disproved traditional theories that considered the great white shark to be an exclusively coastal predator.

Interactions have been established between different white shark populations, which were previously considered separate from each other.

The purposes and reasons why the white shark migrates are still unknown. There are suggestions that migrations are due to the seasonal nature of hunting or mating games.

ate a great white shark spindle-shaped, streamlined shape, like most sharks - active predators. A large, conical head with medium-sized eyes and a pair of nostrils located on it, to which small grooves lead, increasing the flow of water to the shark's olfactory receptors.

The mouth is very wide, armed with sharp triangular teeth with notches on the sides. With teeth like an ax, the shark easily cuts off pieces of flesh from prey. The number of teeth in a great white shark, like in a tiger shark, is 280-300. They are arranged in several rows (usually 5). A complete change of the first row of teeth in young individuals of great white sharks occurs on average once every three months, in adults - once every eight months, i.e. the younger the sharks, the more often they change their teeth.

Behind the head are gill slits - five on each side.

The coloration of the body of great white sharks is typical for fish swimming in the water column. The ventral side is lighter, usually dirty white, the dorsal side is darker - gray, with shades of blue, brown or green tones. This color makes the predator inconspicuous in the water column and allows it to more effectively hunt for prey.

Large and fleshy front dorsal fin and two pectorals. The pelvic, second dorsal and anal fins are smaller. The plumage ends with a large caudal fin, both lobes of which, like all salmon sharks, are approximately the same size.

Among the features of the anatomical structure, it should be noted the highly developed circulatory system of great white sharks, which allows you to warm up the muscles, due to which the high mobility of the shark in the water is achieved.
Like all sharks, the great white lacks a swim bladder, which means they have to keep moving to keep from drowning. However, it should be noted that the sharks do not feel much inconvenience from this. For millions of years they did without a bubble and did not suffer from it at all.

The usual size of an adult great white shark is 4-5.2 meters and weighs 700-1000 kg.

Females are usually larger than males. The maximum size of a white shark is about 8 m and weighs over 3500 kg.
It should be noted that the maximum size of the white shark is a hotly debated topic. Some zoologists, experts in sharks, believe that the great white shark can reach significant sizes - more than 10 and even 12 meters in length.

For several decades, many scientific works on ichthyology, as well as the Book of Records, called two individuals the largest ever caught great white sharks: a great white shark 10.9 m long, caught in southern Australian waters near Port Fairy in 1870- 1930s, and a 11.3 m long great white shark caught in a herring trap near a dam in New Brunswick (Canada) in 1930. Reports of the capture of specimens 6.5-7 meters long were common, but the sizes indicated above remained record-breaking for a long time.

Some researchers question the validity of the size measurements of these sharks in both cases. The reason for this doubt is the large difference between the size of record individuals and all other sizes of great great white sharks obtained by accurate measurements. The New Brunswick shark may not have been a white shark, but a basking shark, as both sharks have a similar body shape. Since the fact of catching this shark and its measurement was recorded not by ichthyologists, but by fishermen, such a mistake could well have occurred. The question of the size of the Port Fairy shark was clarified in the 1970s when shark specialist D.I. Reynolds examined the jaws of this great white shark.

By the size of the teeth and jaws, he established that the Port Fairy shark was no more than 6 meters in length. Apparently, the mistake in measuring the size of this shark was made in order to get a sensation.

Scientists determined the size of the largest specimen, the length of which was reliably measured, at 6.4 meters. This great white shark was caught in Cuban waters in 1945, measured by experts with documented measurements. However, in this case, there were experts who claim that the shark was actually several feet shorter. The unconfirmed weight of this Cuban shark was 3270 kg.

Young carcharadons feed on small bony fish, small marine animals and mammals. Grown up great white sharks include in their diet larger prey - seals, sea lions, large fish, including smaller sharks, cephalopods and other more nutritious marine life. Do not bypass whale carcasses.

Their light coloration makes them less visible against underwater rocks when they are stalking prey.
The high body temperature inherent in all herring sharks allows them to develop a higher speed when attacking, and also stimulates brain activity, as a result of which great white sharks use sometimes ingenious tactical moves while hunting.

If we add to this a massive body, powerful jaws with strong and sharp teeth, then we can understand that great white sharks can handle any prey.

Great white sharks' food habits include seals and other marine animals, including dolphins and small whales. These predators need fatty food of animals to maintain the energy balance in the body. The system of blood heating of muscle tissue in great white sharks requires high-calorie food. And warm muscles provide high mobility to the body of the shark.

The tactics of hunting seals by the great white shark are curious. At first, it slides horizontally in the water column, as if not noticing the tasty prey floating on the surface, then, approaching the victim closer, it abruptly changes the direction of movement upwards and attacks it. Sometimes great white sharks even jump several meters out of the water at the time of the attack.

Often, the carcharodon does not kill the seal immediately, but hitting it from below with its head or lightly biting it, throws it up above the water. Then it returns to the wounded victim and eats it.

If we take into account the passion of great white sharks for fatty food in the form of small marine mammals, then the reason for most shark attacks on people in the water becomes clear. Swimmers and, especially, surfers, when viewed from the depths, surprisingly resemble in their movements the prey familiar to great white sharks. This can also explain the well-known fact when, often, a great white shark bites a swimmer and, realizing a mistake, leaves him, sailing away disappointedly. Human bones are no match for seal fat.

You can watch a film about the great white shark and its hunting habits.

There are still many questions and mysteries about the reproduction of great white sharks. No one had to watch how they mate and how the female gives birth to cubs. Great white sharks are ovoviviparous fish, like most sharks.

The female's pregnancy lasts about 11 months, after which one or two cubs are born. For great white sharks, the so-called intrauterine cannibalism is characteristic, when more developed and strong sharks eat, even in the womb, their weaker brothers and sisters.

Newborns are equipped with teeth and everything necessary to start an active life as predators.
Young sharks grow rather slowly and reach sexual maturity at about 12-15 years of age. It was the low fecundity of great white sharks and long puberty that caused the gradual decrease in the population of these predators in the oceans.

The white shark, or Carcharodon carcharias, is the largest predator of modern sharks. The only surviving species from the genus of Carcharodon, the "White Death", deserves respect for this alone. This sharp-toothed monster leaves no chance for salvation to anyone. Carcharodon prefers coastal waters of the continental plume, where temperatures are higher. However, for individual populations, one of the habitats is the Mediterranean Sea. Although, it would seem that this particular sea is considered one of the safest in terms of attacks on people by man-eating sharks. Should we be afraid of white sharks in the Mediterranean and how do predators behave in these warm waters?
Let's figure it out.

The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar. So, according to the latest information, the number of "indigenous" populations of white sharks has been reduced here by a factor of three. Unregulated smuggling of carcharodon, as a source of delicacy products - fins, fat, liver, as well as an expensive souvenir - jaws, has led to the fact that white sharks in the Mediterranean are on the verge of extinction. This can lead to catastrophic changes in the entire aquatic system, since it is this species that plays the role of policemen in the underwater state.
But, nature took care of its toothy crumbs. Right now, cases of migration of man-eating sharks from the Atlantic have become more frequent - albeit slowly, but they are restoring their numbers.

Should I be afraid of meeting great white sharks in the Mediterranean? It turns out that a person is not the most desirable prey for carcharodon. Our body is too sinewy and too bony to satisfy the appetite of the great white shark, so white sharks prefer fatty tuna instead of homo sapiens. Throughout history, there have been only a few cases of attacks by bloodthirsty killers directly in the Mediterranean Sea, and even those were provoked by people.

The most common victims of white sharks are sport fishermen and divers who dare to swim too close to the predator. It is interesting that it was in the Mediterranean that the "shark phenomenon" was registered - if the carcharodon attacked a person, then it did not tear it apart, as happens in other oceans, but, having tried to bite and realizing that this was not quite appetizing food, let it go and swam away.

Perhaps this behavior of great white sharks is related to ecology, or maybe the reason is the food richness of local waters - there are a lot of fish in the Mediterranean Sea, including 45 species of sharks, almost all of them are potential prey for carcharodon. Therefore, having felt the unusual taste of human flesh, Carcharodon often refuses to eat it.

However, there is an opinion of experts that the great white shark can take the path of cannibalism, having tasted the taste of human flesh during hungry periods. However, the same can be said about other active predators from the shark community.

It is interesting that the last 3 years are characterized by an increase in the meetings of carcharodon with humans in the coastal Mediterranean waters. Usually, these pretentious sharks do not swim close to the coast, preferring clearer waters, but now beaches have become increasingly closed due to the appearance of white sharks. So, vacationers from the beaches of the Cote d'Azur, the Levantine coast, the resorts of Spain, Turkey and Montenegro were evacuated. This does not mean that the beaches were attacked by white-bellied predators, no, just sharks swam closer to the shores than 100 meters. In some cases, great white sharks have simply been confused with dolphins.

Fear of the great white shark in the Mediterranean is also stimulated by a mass of films about killer sharks, as well as isolated cases of attacks, which immediately become the subject of sensational hype in the media, often describing events in unrealistic colors.

So, the whole world went around the shocking news about the death of a cult Italian director from the teeth of Carcharodon, which occurred off the coast of Cyprus. However, no one stipulated that the man decided to try his hand at sport fishing, which is now popular. Trying to catch a great white shark with a bait, he just fell into the sea, where he was bitten in half by huge jaws. There is not a single fatal case of a Carcharodon attack in this area.

The Mediterranean is not a fishing zone. There are not many fishermen here. However, this does not save the white shark from being hunted by humans. Since it is the resort business that is developed, then all the sacrifices are for the benefit of vacationers.
White-bellied beauties are killed for their fins, ribs, and teeth. Fins are a world famous delicacy; often fish are caught, fins are cut off and the unfortunate predator is released to die. Usually such mutilated sharks die in the jaws of their fellows, who take advantage of their helplessness.

Soups are prepared from fins in coastal restaurants, one serving of which costs $ 100. The ribs are used to make souvenir combs, key rings, etc.

A separate item of income is teeth and jaws. For the jaw of Carcharodon on the Italian coast, collectors give up to $ 1,000.

the white shark is the mistress of the sea waters. The Mediterranean, as it turned out, is not the most popular habitat for carchadon populations. However, these waters are also mastered by white-bellied beauties. Calm, low-aggressive, white sharks of the Mediterranean Sea are different from their counterparts. Maintaining the ecological balance, these ancient predators adorn the entire aquatic system, and will patrol the waters of the Mediterranean for many years to come.

And only a man, with his greed and thoughtless cruelty, can stop the existence of this fish necessary for mother nature - the great white shark.

There are many facts confirming such fruits of human activity in relation to many species of living beings in history, all of them are reflected on black sheets International Red Book.

Sophisticated scientific studies have shown that abusing human fishing leads to a decrease in the amount of food for sharks, and the lack of food is the main reason for their aggressive behavior towards swimmers and surfers. The number of collisions is increasing due to the fact that more people go to the open sea, ignoring the warnings of the authorities, and enter into shark habitats, which leads to skirmishes and collisions with animals. The data shows that 6 out of 10 attacks are provoked by people. For example, emboldened scuba divers are increasingly trying to touch the shark. Very often there are attacks on fishermen who are trying to pull out the shark they have caught.

Well, how do you get out alive from a fight with a shark? Here are some real life examples. Richard Watley, who was swimming, was attacked by a shark in mid-June 2005 in Alabama. He was almost 100 meters from the shore when he felt a strong jolt in his thigh. He realized it was a shark and tried to escape. A second later, the shark received a powerful punch in the nose - all that Richard was capable of, he put into this blow. Having sent the predator into a knockdown, Richard rushed with all his might to the saving shore. But the shark quickly recovered and continued to attack. However, each of her attempts to attack ended in failure: blows to the nose followed one after another, until Richard finally crawled ashore safe and sound. Incidentally, this was the first recorded shark attack on a human in Alabama in 25 years.

So what? A powerful right hook to the nose of a shark - an effective defense? In this case, of course, the person survived, but in most cases, such blows will only annoy the shark, so if you see a shark, then you better freeze and wait for help.

Yes, so far the shark is the number one enemy in the water for humans. But I would like to hope that in the near future a person will invent some kind of remedy against the attack of these bloodthirsty predators. Then, perhaps, a person’s fear of this fish will dissipate and he will appreciate these formidable hunters of our planet.

Sharks have perfectly adapted over millions of years of existence to living in the aquatic environment. They can be called the most perfect fish of all types of fish known to man. For a more successful survival, they lack only one thing - care for offspring. After birth, the cubs are left to their own devices. But maybe that's why sharks have become such perfect creatures? After all, it is known that in the cruel world of nature, the strongest or “cunning” species survives. The only enemy of an adult shark is man. Although he does not surpass it in body size and number of teeth, he is able to destroy any, even the largest shark, with one movement of his finger, by pressing the trigger button of another deadly weapon. So maybe it's time to leave these creatures alone and give our descendants the opportunity to discover the wonderful world of white sharks?

White shark attack tactics are varied. It all depends on what the shark has in mind. These formidable predators are very curious animals. The only way for her to study her object of curiosity is to try it “by the tooth”. Scientists call these bites "exploratory bites." It is they who are most often received by surfers or divers floating on the surface, whom the shark, due to its poor eyesight, mistakes for seals or sea lions. After making sure that this "bony prey" is not a seal, the shark can fall behind the person if it is not too hungry, of course.

According to official statistics, from 80 to 110 people are attacked by sharks every year (the total number of recorded attacks of all types of sharks is considered), of which from 1 to 17 are fatal. If we compare, people destroy about 100 million sharks every year.

The storm of the seas, white death, a ruthless killer - as soon as they did not call this powerful and ancient creature that survived the dinosaurs. His name is great white shark. A more perfect organism in nature simply does not exist.

Description and features of the great white shark

Great White Shark (Carcharodon)- one of the largest predators on the planet. She rightfully deserved her bad reputation as a man-eating shark: there are a great many recorded cases of attacks on people.

The language does not dare to call it a fish, but it really is: the white shark belongs to the class of cartilaginous fish. The term "shark" comes from the language of the Vikings, the word "hakall" they called absolutely any fish.

Nature has generously endowed the white shark: its appearance has not changed over the millions of years that it lives on the planet. The size of the mega-fish surpasses even those that sometimes reach 10 m. Great white shark length, according to ichthyologists, can exceed 12 meters.

However, there are only scientific hypotheses about the existence of such giants, the biggest white shark, caught in 1945, was 6.4 m long and weighed about 3 tons. Maybe, the biggest in the world of unprecedented size, has never been caught, and cuts through the expanses of water at a depth not accessible to humans.

At the end of the Tertiary period, and relatively recently by the standards of the Earth, the ancestors of the white shark, the megalodons, lived in the vast depths of the ocean. These monsters reached a length of 30 m (the height of a 10-story building), and 8 adult men could comfortably fit in their mouths.

Today, the great white shark is the only surviving species of its numerous genus. Others died out along with dinosaurs, mammoths and other ancient animals.

The upper part of the body of this unsurpassed predator is painted in a grayish-brown range, and the saturation can be different: from whitish to almost black.

The length of the great white shark can exceed 6 meters

It depends on the habitat. The belly is white, because of it the shark got its name. The line between a gray back and a white belly cannot be called smooth and smooth. It is more broken or torn.

This coloration perfectly masks in the water column: from the side view, its outlines become smooth and almost invisible, when viewed from above, the darker back blends with the shadows and the bottom landscape.

The skeleton of a great white shark does not have bone tissue, but is entirely made up of cartilage. The streamlined body with a cone-shaped head is covered with reliable and dense scales, similar in structure and hardness to shark teeth.

These scales are often referred to as "skin denticles". In some cases, the shark shell cannot be pierced even with a knife, and if you stroke it against the grain, deep cuts will remain.

The body shape of the white shark is ideal for swimming and chasing prey. A special fatty secret secreted by the skin also helps to minimize resistance. It can reach speeds of up to 40 km / h, and this is not in the air, but in the salt water column!

Her movements are graceful and majestic, as if she is sliding through the water, making absolutely no effort. This hulk can easily make 3-meter jumps over the surface of the water, the sight must be said to be fascinating.

The great white shark does not have an air bladder to keep it afloat, and to keep from sinking, it must constantly work with its fins.

Good buoyancy is helped by the huge size of the liver and the low density of cartilage. The blood pressure of the predator is weak and in order to stimulate blood flow, she also has to constantly move, thereby helping the heart muscle.

Looking at great white shark photo, with its mouth wide open, you feel awe and horror, and goosebumps run down your skin. And this is not surprising, because it is difficult to imagine a more perfect tool for killing.

Teeth arranged in 3-5 rows, and white shark they are constantly updated. In place of a broken or fallen tooth, a new one immediately grows from the reserve row. The average number of teeth in the oral cavity is about 300, the length is over 5 cm.

The structure of the teeth is also thought out, like everything else. They have a pointed shape and serrations that allow them to easily tear huge chunks of meat from their unfortunate prey.

Shark teeth are practically devoid of roots and fall out quite easily. No, this is not a mistake of nature, rather the opposite: a tooth stuck in the body of the victim makes it impossible for the predator to open its mouth to ventilate the gill apparatus, the fish simply runs the risk of suffocating.

In this situation, it is better to lose a tooth than a life. By the way, during his life a great white shark replaces about 30 thousand teeth. Interestingly, the jaw of a white shark, squeezing prey, exerts pressure on it up to 2 tons per cm².

The great white shark has about 300 teeth in its mouth.

Lifestyle and habitat of the great white shark

White sharks are mostly solitary. They are territorial, however, show respect for larger brothers, allowing them to hunt in their waters. The social behavior of y is a rather complex and poorly studied issue.

Sometimes they are loyal to the fact that others share their meal, sometimes - on the contrary. In the second option, they show their displeasure by baring their mouths, but they rarely physically punish the intruder.

The great white shark is found in the shelf zone near the coasts of almost all over the world, excluding the northern regions. This species is thermophilic: the optimum water temperature for them is 12-24°C. An important factor is the concentration of salt, since in the Black Sea it is not sufficient and these are not found in it.

Great white shark dwells off the coast, Mexico, California, New Zealand. Large populations are observed near Mauritius, Kenya, Seychelles, Guadeloupe. These predators are prone to seasonal migrations and can cover distances of thousands of kilometers.

Great white shark food

The great white shark is a cold-blooded, prudent predator. She attacks sea lions, marine,. In addition to large animals, sharks feed on tuna and quite often on carrion.

The great white shark does not hesitate to hunt other, smaller species of its own kind, as well as. On the latter, they ambush and attack from behind, depriving the victim of the ability to use echolocation.

Nature has made the shark an ideal killer: its eyesight is 10 times better than a human's, the inner ear picks up low frequencies and infra-range sounds.

The sense of smell of a predator is unique: a shark is able to smell blood in an impurity of 1:1,000,000, which corresponds to 1 teaspoon per large swimming pool. The attack of the white shark is lightning fast: less than a second passes from the moment the mouth opens to the final closing of the jaws.

Having sunk its razor-like teeth into the body of the victim, the shark shakes its head, tearing off large pieces of flesh. At one time, she can swallow up to 13 kg of meat. The jaws of the bloodthirsty predator are so strong that they easily bite large bones, and even the entire prey in half.

The shark's stomach is large and elastic, it can hold a huge amount of food. It happens that there is not enough hydrochloric acid for digestion, then the fish turns it inside out, getting rid of the excess. Surprisingly, the walls of the stomach are not injured by the sharp triangular teeth of this mighty creature.

Great white shark attacks per person do happen, mainly divers and surfers suffer from this. Humans are not part of their diet, rather a predator attacks by mistake, mistaking a surfboard for an elephant seal or a seal.

Another explanation for such aggression is the invasion of personal space, the territory where she is used to hunting. Interestingly, she rarely eats human flesh, more often spitting it out, realizing that she was mistaken.

Dimensions and the characteristics of the body do not give the victims great white shark no chance of salvation. In fact, among the ocean depths, she does not have worthy competition.

Reproduction and lifespan

Individuals less than 4 m in length, most likely immature adolescents. Shark females are able to become pregnant no earlier than at 12-14 years old. Males mature a little earlier - at 10. Great white sharks reproduce by ovoviviparity.

This method is inherent exclusively in cartilaginous fish species. Pregnancy lasts about 11 months, then several cubs hatch in the mother's womb. The strongest eat the weak while still inside.

2-3 completely independent sharks are born into the world. According to statistics, 2/3 of them do not live up to a year, becoming a victim of adult fish and even their own mother.

Due to long pregnancy, low productivity and late maturation, the number of white sharks is steadily declining. No more than 4,500 individuals live in the world's oceans.

A well-known representative of predatory fish is the great white shark. Individuals belonging to Carcharodon carcharias live in the surface layers of the water column of various oceans, although they are also found at depth. Only in the Arctic Ocean there are no sharks. These predatory fish are called white death, cannibal fish and carcharodons (terrible teeth).

White shark characteristics: size, weight, tooth structure

White sharks owe their name to their specific appearance. The peritoneum of predatory fish is colored white, their sides and back are gray, in some individuals it is gray-blue or gray-brown.

Due to the specific color, it is difficult to notice the fish from afar. The gray color of the back and sides does not make it possible to see them from above, they merge with the surface of the water. If you look up from the bottom of the ocean, then the white belly does not stand out against the sky. The body of a shark is visually divided into 2 parts when viewed from the side from afar.

The female sharks are larger than the males. The average length of female carcharodons is 4.7 m, and males grow up to 3.7 m. With such a length, their body weight varies between 0.7–1.1 tons. According to experts, man-eating fish that are in ideal conditions, can grow up to 6.8 m. The body of the white shark is spindle-shaped, dense. There are 5 pairs of gill slits on the sides. On a large conical head are medium-sized eyes and nostrils.

Due to the grooves that fit the nostrils, the volume of water entering the olfactory receptors increases

The mouth of a predatory fish is wide, it has the shape of an arc. Inside there are 5 rows of triangular sharp teeth, their height reaches 5 cm. The number of teeth is 280–300. In young individuals, the first dentition is completely changed every 3 months, in adults - every 8 months. A feature of carcharodons is the presence of notches on the surface of the teeth.

Powerful shark jaws are able to easily bite through the cartilage, break the bones of their victims. With the help of a study conducted in 2007, it was possible to find out the bite force of this predator.

Computed tomography of the head of the shark helped to establish that the bite force of a young individual weighing 240 kg and 2.5 m long is 3131 N. And a shark 6.4 m long and weighing more than 3 tons can close its jaws with a force of 18216 N. According to the assumption of some scientists, information about the bite force of large sharks is overestimated. Due to the special structure of the teeth, sharks do not need to be able to bite with great force.

The first large fin on the back looks like a triangle, the pectoral fins are sickle-shaped, they are long and large. The anal and second dorsal fins are small. The body ends with a large tail, its plates are the same in size.

In large carcharodons, the circulatory system is well developed. This allows predators to warm up their muscles and increase their speed in the water. White sharks do not have a swim bladder. Because of this, Carcharodons are forced to constantly move, otherwise they sink to the bottom.

Where does it live

The habitat of man-eating sharks is huge. They are found both in coastal areas and inland. Mostly sharks swim in surface waters, but some specimens could be found at a depth of more than 1 km. They prefer warm water bodies, the optimum temperature for them is 12–24 °C. Sharks are not suitable for desalinated and low-salt waters.

Carcharodons are not found in the Black Sea

The main centers of accumulation of predators include coastal zones in California, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. Sharks are also found:

• off the coast of Argentina, the Republic of Cuba, the Bahamas, Brazil, the east coast of the United States;
• in the east of the Atlantic Ocean (from South Africa to France);
• in the Indian Ocean (found near the Seychelles, in the Red Sea and the waters of the Republic of Mauritius);
• in the Pacific Ocean (along the western coast of America, from New Zealand to the Far Eastern territories).

Often sharks can be seen around archipelagos, shoals, rocky capes inhabited by pinnipeds. Separate populations live in the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. But their number in these water bodies has significantly decreased in recent years, they have practically disappeared.

Lifestyle

The social structure of shark populations and the behavior of individuals have not been studied enough by humans. With the help of observations, it was possible to reveal that the tactics of attack by predators depend on the type of prey chosen. This is facilitated by a high body temperature, due to which the functioning of the brain is stimulated.

Their attacks are so swift that in pursuit of prey they can completely emerge from the water. At the same time, animals develop speeds above 40 km / h. A failed attack does not stop the pursuit of the victim. They can raise their heads above the water while searching for prey.

Interspecific competition occurs in places where sharks and cetaceans have a single food base.

It was previously thought that white sharks had no natural enemies. But in 1997, whale watching had to witness an attack on an adult white shark. It was attacked by a representative of cetaceans - a killer whale. Similar attacks were recorded later.

Nutrition and the digestive system

The diet of carcharodons varies depending on the age and size of the animals. They feed on small animals.

• fish (tuna, rays, herring and small representatives of the shark family are popular);
• pinnipeds (fur seals, lions, seals most often suffer);
• cephalopods;
• birds;
• representatives of cetaceans (porpoises, dolphins);
• sea ​​otters, turtles.

Carcharodons do not neglect carrion. Whale carcass can be good prey.

Of particular interest to large specimens are seals, other marine animals, and small whales. With the help of fatty foods, they manage to maintain energy balance, so they require high-calorie foods.

But they rarely attack porpoises and dolphins. Although in the Mediterranean the latter are an important component of the diet of sharks. They attack this type of prey mainly from below, behind and from above, trying to avoid detection by sonar.

Contrary to popular belief, humans are not of interest to sharks as food due to the small amount of fat. Carcharodons can confuse a human with a marine mammal, which is considered the main reason for the attack.

White sharks have a slow metabolism, so sometimes they can go without food for a long time.

Predators can go a long time without food. It is believed that 30 kg of whale oil is enough to satisfy the metabolic processes taking place in the body of a shark weighing more than 900 kg for 45 days.

According to the structure of the digestive organs, sharks practically do not differ from other fish. But in carcharodons, the division of the digestive system into various sections and glands is expressed. It begins with the oral cavity, which smoothly passes into the pharynx. It is followed by a V-shaped esophagus and stomach. The folds inside the stomach are covered with a mucous membrane, from which digestive enzymes and juices are abundantly secreted, necessary for the processing of ingested food.

In the stomach there is a special section in which excess food is sent. Food can be stored in it for up to 2 weeks. If necessary, the digestive system begins to use the available supply to support the life of the predator.

From other species of fish and animals, sharks are distinguished by the ability to “turn out” the stomach through the mouth. Thanks to this ability, they can clean it of dirt, accumulated food debris.

From the stomach, food passes into the intestines. The existing spiral valve contributes to more efficient absorption. Due to its presence, the contact of food digested in the stomach with the intestinal mucosa is enhanced.

Also active in the process of digestion are:

• gallbladder;
• pancreas;
• liver.

The pancreas is responsible for the production of hormones, pancreatic juice, designed to break down carbohydrates, fats, proteins. Thanks to the work of the liver, toxins are neutralized, pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed, and fats from food are processed and absorbed.

Behavioral Features

White sharks do not live in one place. They move along the coast, make transatlantic journeys, but return to their usual habitats. Due to migrations, there is the possibility of crossing different shark populations, although they were previously thought to live in isolation. The reasons for the Carcharodon migrations are still unknown. Researchers speculate that this is due to breeding or searching for places rich in food.

During observations in the waters of South Africa, it was revealed that the dominant position is assigned to females. When hunting, predators are divided. Arising conflicts are resolved with the help of demonstrative behavior.

White sharks start a fight in exceptional cases

Their behavior during hunting is interesting. The whole process of catching a victim can be divided into stages:

1. Identification.
2. Species identification.
3. Approaching an object.
4. Attack.
5. Eating.

They attack mainly when the prey is near the surface of the water. They grab large individuals in the middle and drag them under water. There they can swallow the prey whole.

Diseases

A threat to carcharodons are small copepods. They settle in the gills, feed on the shark's blood and the oxygen that it receives. Gradually, the condition of the gill tissue worsens and the shark dies from suffocation.

Carnivores have a well-functioning immune system that can protect them from autoimmune, inflammatory and infectious diseases, but they often develop cancer. Now it was possible to identify more than 20 types of tumors that threaten the life of sharks.

Reproduction: how white sharks give birth

Young sharks are born adapted to independent living.

White sharks are ovoviviparous fish. Fry hatch from eggs inside the mother's body. They come out grown up. Communication with the mother's body is absent. The species reproduces by placental ovoviviparity. There are 2–10 sharks in a litter. Most often, 5-10 newborns are born. Their length at birth is 1.3–1.5 m.

The source of nutrients for growing embryos are eggs, which are produced by the mother's body. The sharks in the womb have a stretched belly 1 m long, inside it is the yolk. In the later stages of development, the stomachs become empty. Newborn sharks are most often seen by observers in calm waters. They are well developed.

How many lives

The average lifespan of Carcharodons is 70 years. At the same time, puberty in females occurs at the age of 33, in males - at the age of 26. They stop growing from the moment they reach maturity.

attack on a person

People are not of interest to sharks, although many cases have been recorded when they attacked. Most often, divers and fishermen who come too close to the predator become victims.

In the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, there is a "shark phenomenon", according to which Carcharodons swam away after one bite. According to experts, sharks that are hungry can easily profit from a person.

Most often, when meeting with sharks, people die from blood loss, drowning or pain shock. When attacking, predators injure prey and wait for it to weaken.

Playing Dead Is the Worst Option When Encountering a Shark

Single divers can be partially eaten by a shark, and people who dive with partners can be saved. Often it is possible to escape those people who actively resist. Any blows can force the predator to swim away. Experts advise, if possible, to beat the shark in the eyes, gills, muzzle.

It is important to constantly monitor the location of the predator, it can attack again. Sharks are willing to eat carrion, so the sight of an unresisting prey will not stop them.

Sharks are a little-studied species of predatory fish. A decrease in their numbers affects the food chain, because they are part of the ecosystem of the world's oceans. Despite the fact that little is known about white sharks, the researchers managed to identify a number of interesting facts related to these animals:

• Females have thicker skin than males. This is due to the fact that the male roughly holds his partner during mating, biting her by the fins.
• Shark teeth are coated with fluoride, so they do not deteriorate. Enamel is made up of a substance that is resistant to acid produced by bacteria.
• Sharks have well developed: vision, smell, hearing, touch, taste and sensitivity to electromagnetic fields.
• Sensitive olfactory receptors enable the shark to catch the smell of a seal colony located at a distance of 3 km.
• When hunting in cold waters, Carcharodons are able to raise their body temperature.

Due to industrial fishing, the number of white sharks is rapidly declining. According to experts, there are about 3.5 thousand of them left all over the world. If sharks begin to die out, this could lead to the extinction of many marine plants.