PREHISTORIC PREDATOR
LOCAL IS LEKKER!
South Africa has one of the most diverse and
rich shark populations in the world. The
Western Cape is well known for its great
white population, and the East Coast for its
species diversity. South Africa is home to
109 species of shark, with 34 of those
endemic to the country (that means they
can only be found here).MALE OR
FEMALE?
You can tell by checking
if they have claspers –
male sharks have
modified pelvic fins and
females do not.
THEM BONES ...
No bones! A shark’s skeleton is actually
made up of cartilage, which allows him
more flexibility and saves energy.440
The number of shark species in the world.
15%
The percentage of the world’s shark
species that can be found in South Africa.
1
A great white needs to eat one baby seal
every three days to fulfill his energy
requirements.14 m
The length of the largest shark species- the whale shark.
20cm
The length of the teeny-weeny dwarf
lantern shark.DID YOU KNOW?
Sharks live around 20 to 30 years
(the oldest great white managed
around 70 years). But what’s quite
fascinating is that you can tell a
shark’s age by looking at the
number of rings on his vertebrae- the same way you can tell the age
of a tree!
1 in 3,748,067
Your odds of being attacked and
killed by a shark. You have a better
chance of meeting your demise at
the hands of fireworks.400
million years
That’s how long sharks have been around –
and they have barely changed in shape and
appearance since then.100
km/h
The speed at which the
super-fast mako shark
can travel.sharksWILDTHINGS