Quick Facts
- Type
- Fish
- Size
- 4–6 m long
- Weight
- 680–1,800 kg
- Habitat
- Cool coastal and offshore seas worldwide
- Diet
- Seals, sea lions, fish, and other sharks
- Active Time
- Active day and night
- Lifespan
- Up to 70 years
Field Notes
- Great whites can detect the tiny electric fields produced by other animals.
- They lose and replace thousands of teeth over a lifetime.
- Their partly warm-blooded bodies let them stay active in cold water.
About the Great White Shark
The great white shark is a large, powerful predatory fish found in cool, coastal waters around the world. Built like a torpedo, it has a grey back and white underside that camouflage it from above and below, and rows of serrated triangular teeth that are continually replaced. It senses prey with keen smell and special electroreceptors that detect the faint electric fields of living animals. Despite its fearsome reputation, attacks on humans are rare and usually exploratory. Great whites are warm-bodied, helping them hunt in chilly seas.
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