Great White Sharks

The oceans that cover the globe hold many of the worlds mysteries, and most fascinating creatures. One of the most talked about creatures is the great white shark. This magnificent creature is probably one of the most talked about creatures of the sea, to many it is a monster putting fear into the oceans that it inhabits. The predatory fish has not changed a much since the age of the dinosaurs. It is one of the largest predatory fish known to man, this creature can grow up to sizes of 20 feet and weigh anything up-to 5,000lb.

The great white shark was made highly famous by films such as jaws. However these films have also made this shark out to be a human killing machine, which in-fact is just not true. Of-course there have been many attacks on humans by this creature however it is not proven in any sense that the attacks are planned. And not all attacks on humans by this shark have been fatal. More and more researchers have reason to believe that attacks on humans that are surfing is actually a case of false identity. A human paddling in the sea from below looks very much like the great whites favorite meal...seal. The great white when it attacks may not know what it is actually attacking until it bites.

The great white is often found close to the surface of oceans, but it does travel deep into the oceans depths too. The shark is often hard to spot in the ocean until it is very close, this is due to its unique coloring. A great white has a white belly and a grey back. From above the grey back disappears into the dark of the ocean making it almost invisible unless you are close. For this predatory fish however it is an advantage because his prey will not see him approaching until it is too late. A great white has many rows of teeth behind its front row, this makes it easy for the shark to replace any teeth that fall out. All of the great whites teeth are serrated, so it thrashes its head side to side during an attack because the teeth act like saws tearing off its preys flesh.

More research is showing that the great white is more sociable that, we first thought. Female great whites are shown more to dominate the males great white, size and how long a great white always seems to play apart in the community of great whites. Great whites are very proud of there territory and may gently bite another great white to show dominance and to warn other great whites that this is their territory.

We still have much to learn about the great white shark, for instance mating habits and locations have not been fully observed, and so are not known to us. The life expectancy of a great white shark is not known research shows that they can live 30-40 years, however it is not unreasonable to consider that such a large creature could last longer than that.

For the public viewing these creatures is something of a wonder. Going in to the sea in a steal cage to watch a great white has become very popular. This industry has boomed. It allows people to look at this wondrous creature in its natural habitat without the dangers of getting bitten. Many people are given a huge adrenaline rush by doing this, being so close to such a large creature many people have stated it was a mixed feeling to go into the water. The feeling of excitement and fear.

The great white may be one of the most unchanged creatures over the years however it is also one of the most mysterious. There is still much to learn about them. However, maybe they are just one of the many wonders of the world that will never fully be explained.