Truly Fascinating Facts About Great White Sharks

“The Jaws Effect” is what scientists call people’s irrational fear of sharks based on Steven Spielberg’s 1975 hit summer movie, “Jaws.” The great white shark in the movie was so terrifying that it captivated the public, leading to even more scary shark movies being made. The result, as one study stated, is a “persistent fear of sharks” based on how sharks are depicted in movies and TV.

The reality is that sharks, even great white sharks, are not bloodthirsty for humans. This fascinating and often misunderstood animal may attack humans by accident or if they are provoked. But great whites aren’t out hunting in shallow water, looking for tasty vacationers to bite. In reality, sharks have more to fear from humans than we do from them. Sharks are killed as bycatch, and are also illegally hunted and poached. Shark attacks on humans are actually pretty rare. We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting facts about the fascinating and misunderstood great white shark.

1. You Can’t Keep a Great White Shark in an Aquarium

If you’ve ever wondered why you’ve never seen a great white shark in captivity, it’s because it’s nearly impossible to keep great whites alive in aquariums. After the movie “Jaws,” public interest in great white sharks soared in the 1970s. But every attempt to keep them in captivity has failed.

Aside from the massive expense of keeping a tank large enough to fit them, it’s nearly impossible to replicate a great white shark’s natural environment. Great whites swim long distances, hunting mammals like seals and sea turtles. They instinctively need to hunt their prey and don’t respond well to being fed meat by handlers.

When great whites have been kept in aquariums, they often injure themselves trying to swim through the glass barriers. The longest a great white shark was ever kept in captivity was 198 days in the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was released after it continued to eat the other sharks in its enclosure.

2. Great White Sharks Have a Sixth Sense

In addition to having an amazing sense of smell, great white sharks have a special sense called electroreception. This sixth sense allows them to hunt prey by detecting electrical currents. Great white sharks, along with other species of sharks, have a series of pores on their snouts. These pores are filled with cells called the Ampullae of Lorenzini. The pores lead to narrow canals under the shark’s skin that are filled with jelly that can conduct weak electrical currents.

Using this special sense, sharks can feel things such as heartbeats and muscle movements from other creatures. Basically, the shark is instantly alerted when something alive is swimming nearby, whether it’s a fish, a seal, or a human. Scientists are studying whether sharks may use electroreception beyond hunting. Some researchers theorize that sharks may use it to help them navigate by using the Earth’s electromagnetic fields.

3. We Don’t Know Much About Where and How Great Whites Mate and Give Birth

Since we can’t successfully keep great white sharks in captivity, scientists have to rely on observations in the wild to learn about their mating and reproductive behavior. Although scientists know the basics, there is still much to learn about the great white shark’s mating behavior. Mating is rarely observed, and it has never been documented in scientific detail.

It’s not just curiosity that makes scientists want to learn more about the great white’s mating behavior. Understanding their mating behaviors would help scientists find strategies to help conserve the species. Because great white sharks mature slowly and have only a few babies per litter, their populations recover slowly after a decline. Recently, scientists discovered a possible mating site off the coast of the Carolinas. By learning where sharks mate, researchers can better focus conservation efforts to protect great white sharks.

4. Great White Sharks Are Partially Warm-Blooded

Most sharks are cold-blooded, or ectothermic, animals. This means their body temperature matches the temperature of the water around them. Great whites, however, are one of the few species of sharks that are partially warm-blooded. This gives them several advantages. For example, they have the energy to burst forward in the water while hunting, easily overtaking their prey.

Being able to tolerate colder waters gives great whites a wider range of habitats. They have been able to expand into territories that are too cold for other ectothermic predators. Currently, scientists have noticed an increased great white shark population off the coast of Canada in the North Atlantic. They believe the sharks are drawn to the area thanks to the recently rebounding seal population.

5. Great White Sharks Try to Avoid Conflict

Great white sharks have a terrifying reputation, thanks to movies like “Jaws.” But the reality is that sharks, even massive great white sharks, do not hunt people. In the movie and in the book it was based on, a great white shark gets a taste of a human and keeps coming back for more. The reality is that great white sharks prefer to eat fish and marine mammals. Attacks on humans generally happen when the shark is provoked or is curious about a swimming human.

Great white sharks also seem to avoid conflict with each other. They have a social hierarchy among members of their species based on size. Large sharks are dominant and claim feeding areas. Rather than fight them, the smaller sharks defer to the dominant ones. This is likely because a fight between two great whites could result in fatal injuries for either shark.

6. Great White Sharks Are Older Than Dinosaurs

Scientists have traced sharks back 450 million years. This was before dinosaurs or even trees existed. Sharks have survived five mass extinctions and have evolved into the fascinating animals they are today. The earliest fossil evidence of shark ancestors dates back to the Late Ordovician Period.

Around 380 million years ago, the genus Cladoselache appeared, which looked more like the sharks we know today. Around 359 million years ago, the Carboniferous Period began, which is known as the golden age of sharks. Many species of fish died off in a mass extinction during the Devonian period, giving sharks room to expand.

7. Some Great White Sharks Are Social Butterflies

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Sharks have a reputation for being solitary hunters, swimming alone throughout their lives and merely looking for the next meal. Scientists have made some recent discoveries that have turned this notion on its head.

A group of great white sharks has been seen congregating off the waters of Guadalupe Island, which is located off the western coast of Mexico. Dozens of sharks are seen here, swimming alongside each other. Pairs of sharks have been observed swimming together for over an hour at a time. Scientists call these “social associations,” and say it’s a bit like a human having a hunting buddy. Scientists note that there is still much to learn about sharks’ social behavior.

8. The First Time Anyone Saw a Newborn Great White Shark in the Wild Wasn’t Until 2023

We don’t know much about great white mating behavior, and we also haven’t had many opportunities to observe newborn offspring. In 2023, a drone captured the first-ever footage of a newborn great white shark in the wild swimming off the coast of California.

The shark was five feet long (adults grow to about 20 feet) and had pale coloring. The young shark was covered by a thin white film, which sloughed off as it swam. Seeing a newborn shark in the area gives scientists clues about where great white shark breeding grounds may be located.

9. Killer Whales Have a Preference for Great White Shark Livers

Great whites have a fearsome image as relentless killers. Though they are at the top of the food chain, they are sometimes hunted by other large species. Pods of killer whales have been observed hunting down great white sharks. Killer whales, or orcas, are the adult great white shark’s only predator.

Scientists have discovered that orcas like to eat great white shark livers. Great whites have been discovered washed ashore with their livers torn out. DNA evidence revealed the culprit was an orca. Because of the immense size of great whites, orcas hunt together in pods, using their intelligence and strong communication skills to bring down large predators.

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