Carcharodon Carcharias, white pointer, man-eater, white death, or what have you, the great white shark patrols the ocean as one of the world's most ferocious predators to date. Being labeled as a killer isn't a very good way to view a great white. They should more or less be viewed as a misunderstood fish. Great whites are considered solitary predators, but some are currently being studied off the coast of South Africa because of a strange phenomenon that only happens in those waters. This phenomenon is that the great whites hunt in packs of three or more and are often very coordinated.
Little is known about the great whites of the world, but some vital statistics have been observed. The great white can grow to 21 feet, but are averaged around 13-17 although reports of larger great whites, some in excess of 31 feet, have been reported, but not officially investigated or tagged. On average great whites weigh one to two tons, this makes for a slow swim speed, but these agile creatures can reach burst speeds of up to 15 mph which is fast for a shark this large. In fact, in South Africa the more aggressive sharks have been observed leaping five to fifteen feet out of the water in search of catching the seals that swim there. This is called a breach, which will be covered more in-depth later in this report.
Although the official age of a great white has never been determined it is estimated to live from 45-60 years. They have a dark blue to grey top and a white belly. Also, when they bite their jaw becomes dislocated letting a larger chunk of prey to enter, which they swallow whole and do not chew. The great white shark is deemed to be the most dangerous shark of them all. Although studies have proven that it is the bull shark, a cousin to the great white, who is responsible for a lot of attacks on humans.
Great white sharks tend to feed mainly on sea lions, seals, and turtles.
