Asian Diver – March 2018

REPRODUCTION

White sharks are believed to live for 70

years or more, and do not reach sexual

maturity until they are nearly 30 years

old. They are ovoviviparous, and give

birth to up to 10 pups, each measuring

between 120–150 centimetres. While

they are still in the uterus, the developing

embryos will feed on unfertilised eggs

produced by the mother, a method of

feeding known as oophagy

GREAT WHITE SHARK

PREDATORS

The only other ocean predator capable

of killing a great white is the orca. In

2017, along the South African coastline,

four large white sharks washed ashore

with their nutrient-rich livers removed

with what was described as ‘surgical

precision’. Local scientists believe that

two killer whales often seen in the area

are to blame for the attacks, and since

then many of the sharks have disappeared

and are yet to return

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Chondrichthyes

Subclass : Elasmobranchii

Superorder : Selachimorpha

Order : Lamniformes

Family : Lamnidae

Genus : Carcharodon

Species : C. carcharias

Maximum Size

Average size

Maximum Weight

6.1 metres

4 metres

1905 kilograms

HABITAT

This epipelagic fish spends long periods

in coastal areas, where it hunts fish and

marine mammals. Known populations

exist in South Australia, Mexico and South

Africa, where large numbers of sharks

patrol the reef and kelp forests in search

of prey. It can also

be found in groups scavenging on whale

carcasses or other carrion

TOURISM

Because of their size and propensity for

large prey, it is necessary to be careful

when swimming with great whites, but from

the safety of a steel cage it is possible to

come face to face with the world’s most

feared predator with minimal risk. By using

surface supplied air, operators are also able

to offer this activity to non-divers, making

it one of the most accessible and popular

types of shark tourism on the planet

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
This shark is primarily a coastal and
offshore inhabitant of continental shelves
in temperate waters between 12 and 24
degrees Celsius.
Western Atlantic: North Carolina to
Uruguay including the gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean regions
Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to Senegal
including the Mediterranean Sea
Indo-Pacific: Ryukyu Islands to Australia,
New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and from
southern Baja California to Peru
Eastern Pacific: Southern Baja to
south Peru

WHITE SHARK CAFE
Recent studies have tracked mature
great whites making long migrations
to a deep and barren area of the
Pacific Ocean between Mexico and
Hawaii, known as the white shark cafe,
where they make repeated dives to
depths of around 200 metres.
The reason for this migration and
the purpose of these dives is unknown,
but scientists believe the sharks are
taking part in some kind of mating ritual
or hunting for food in the deep water

Newborn pups measure around

120–150

centimetres

CONSERVATION STATUS

Extinct VulnerableThreatened

EXEWCRENVUNTLC

Area of distribution

Orca

Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Hawaii

White Shark

Cafe

San

Francisco

Mexico