The A-Z of great white sharks

Off to meet the great white shark face to face in Gansbaai? Read our sharky facts...

Are you off to meet the great white shark face to face in Gansbaai? Well here is everything you need to know about these amazing predators.

Adaption: the great white shark has adapted a body temperature warmer than the surrounding water.

Biting: when the shark bites, it shakes its head side to side, helping the teeth saw off large chunks of flesh.

Came into existence during the mid-Miocene epoch.

Delivery is in spring and summer; the female gives birth to live young between 1.1 and 1.64 metres in length.

Each member has a clearly established rank, and each clan has an alpha leader.

Females are generally larger than males.

Great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death are common names for it; its Latin name is Carcharodon carcharias.

Humans are not the preferred prey of the Great White Shark.

Intelligence: great white sharks are generally very curious, social and intelligent animals.

Jaws was Peter Benchley's best-selling novel;  the subsequent 1975 film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg made the public view  the great white shark as a 'man eater'.

Killed: sharks are being killed at an alarming rate due to the demand for shark fin soup in the East.

Life span is over 30 years.

Maturity is reached at around 15 years.

Non-violent: when members of different clans meet they establish social rank non-violently through a fascinating variety of interactions.

Oceans: great whites are found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans (especially South Africa and Australia).

Prey: known to prey upon a variety of marine animals including fish and seabirds.

Questionable: the maximum size is still subject to debate because such reports are often rough estimations or speculations.

Rows of serrated teeth sit behind the main ones, ready to replace any that break off.

Size: a great white can reach up to six metres.

Today, great whites are endangered and threatened by extinction because of commercial long lining poaching for jaws, teeth and fins.

Unable: great whites have also been known to eat objects that they are unable to digest.

Volt: great whites are so sensitive they can detect half a billionth of a volt.

Weight: a great white can reach up to 2268 kgs.

X-tra: great white sharks, like all other sharks, have an extra sense, which enables them to detect the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals.

Years: the great white shark is probably one of the oldest species that we can still see in the ocean today. It has been around for longer than 400 million years, which is 200 million years longer than dinosaurs.

Zebras, lions, elephants and great white sharks – don't leave South Africa without seeing these creatures.

One of the densest known great white shark populations is found around Dyer Island, South Africa where a lot of shark research is conducted. Visit Gansbaai, the great white shark capital, two hours drive from Cape Town, jump in a cage and see these mighty creatures face to face.

Be sure to read about our shark cage diving experience with Shark Lady, what to expect when shark cage diving, our overview of Gansbaai and shark conservation in Gansbaai.

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