Great White Shark

The great white shark Carcharodon carcharias is unmistakable. Its stout torpedo-shaped body has an irregular but distinct boundary line between the slate-grey to brown topside and the pure white underside. Its teeth are evenly triangular and serrated in the top jaw and slightly more pointed in the lower jaw. This powerful predator can grow to an enormous size with the largest measuring up to 6.4 m (21 ft).

The great white is a temperate water species, but has been seen in warmer waters such as the Queensland coast of eastern Australia and around Hawaii. The larger individuals are most commonly found close to seal and sea lion colonies, such as those on the coasts of South Africa, Australia, Chile, Japan and North America. Here, they use stealth and surprise to catch a seal, approaching mainly from below and behind and then accelerating up towards the target at high speed. They slam into their larger victims with tremendous force, using their momentum and weight to carve out a large slice of meat and blubber.