Bestseller subject Jaws by Peter Benchley (and its film adaptation by Steven Spielberg), the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) fascinates many divers. The only species of the genus Carcharodon, the largest predatory shark is distinguished by its impressive size as well as its striking appearance, as shown in the video below filmed at Guadalupe Island in Mexico, one of the top places in the world to observe the animal in its natural habitat.
Photo above: © Nicolas Barraqué1) Imposing! One of the largest specimens of great white was observed in 2013 at Guadalupe, Mexico. Nicknamed Deep Blue, this female over 6 meters long and 50 years old was reportedly seen again off Oahu in Hawaii in January 2019. While it is the largest predatory shark, the great white is not the longest: it is far surpassed by the whale shark and the basking shark (up to 12 meters long)2) An ancestor in the Mediterranean : fossilized teeth found would prove that the great white shark lived in the Mediterranean basin since the Pliocene with sizes exceeding 6.7 meters. The latest study from February 2020 reveals that great whites appeared there 3.2 million years ago and came from Australian and Pacific populations that dispersed.3) A warm-blooded fish: belonging to the Lamnidae family, the great white is endothermic: it consistently maintains its body temperature 10°C above the ambient environment.4) It cleans the oceans: known primarily as a predator, the great white is partly scavenging and can feed on carcasses of sperm whales or whales. It can go without eating for 45 to 90 days.5) A formidable vision: its perception in dim light is far superior to that of humans thanks to its double retina: a mirror structure behind the retina brings more brightness. The shark protects its eyes at the moment of attack by rolling them into its orbits.6) Extra-sensory receptors: concentrated near the head, the ampullae of Lorenzini are part of the modified lateral line and are particularly sensitive to electric fields, helping the shark detect its prey by the electric intensity it emits.7) Not so solitary: Social behavior can override that of feeding during interaction with other congenerics. During an encounter between two individuals, they swim side by side for 30 seconds to measure each other.8) Identification methods: white and gray marks on their sides, gills, and tail. Also, the distinctive scars received during mating by females
9) An endangered species: the great white shark is part of the IUCN’s global red list of endangered species, categorized as ‘vulnerable’. The European list considers it as ‘critically endangered’. In France, data is insufficient.10) Teeth to infinity: the great white shark continually loses its teeth. 4 to 6 rows of developing teeth can then replace them. During its lifetime it can possess more than 30,000 teeth.
https://vimeo.com/379976689Where to meet it? The great white shark is almost certainly visible in three countries: in South Africa (Gansbaai), in Mexico (Guadalupe – video below), and in Southern Australia (Port Lincoln). In these various spots, dives are done exclusively in cages.
Lisa Ferré