The great white shark is one of the most dangerous shark species, growing up to 21 feet long and weighing over 4,500 pounds. They live in coastal waters but may also dwell in open oceans. Great whites mature slowly, taking 12-18 years to reach sexual maturity, but can live over 30 years. Their jagged serrated teeth, which can be over 2.5 inches long, allow them to tear chunks of meat from prey like seals. Though they rarely attack humans, great whites are still considered apex predators at the top of the ocean food chain.

1. Sharks – there are more than 400 species of these meat-eating fish. And one of the most dangerous of these is the great white shark.

2. The great white usually lives in cool, coastal waters, such as those off the shores of Australia and South Africa. However, scientists now believe the great white may also be an open-ocean dweller.

3. The great white can grow to more than 21 feet long and can weigh more than 4500 pounds. It can swim at speeds of up to 43 miles per hour.

4. Great whites are “ovoviviparous,” which means that the eggs hatch inside the mother shark’s uterus and continue growing inside her until they’re born.

5. After they’re born, baby sharks swim away from their mothers because their mothers don’t care for them and sometimes will even eat them. Many shark babies don’t live past a year.

6. Great whites grow slowly and don’t mature until they’re 12-18 years old,but they can live to be over 30 years old.

7. Like all other sharks, the great white is “cartilaginous,” which means its skeleton is made of cartilage instead of bone.

8. Most fish have swim bladders that allow them to remain in one place without sinking, but sharks don’t.

9. Instead, sharks have oil in their livers that weighs less than water and helps keep them from sinking. Still, sharks must swim constantly.

10. Great whites have warm blood and warm muscles, which makes them faster and stronger than other sharks.

11. A white underside and gray dorsal area make the great white’s color look “mottled,” which makes it difficult for their prey to spot them.

12. Their large cone-shaped snouts and torpedo-shaped bodies help the great white to swim, and their skin, which is made up of teeth-shaped scales, is so rough it’s been used as sandpaper.

13. Great whites are very curious and intelligent animals. In fact, they’re only one of a few types of sharks that actually lift their heads above the water to see their prey.

14. Some believe a shark can smell better this way since odors travel faster in air than in water.

15. The great white’s most amazing feature is its teeth. With a length of up to 2.5 inches, the great white’s teeth are sharp and triangular with jagged edges, so they can tear hunks of meat from their prey.

16. Serrated teeth are located behind the normal teeth so that when those teeth break off, they can be replaced easily. Great whites can have 3000 teeth at one time!

17. Sharks are considered “apex” predators, because they eat mostly animals lower on the food chain and aren’t often preyed upon by other animals.

18. Seals, sea lions, and dolphins are some of the great white’s favorite foods, but it will also eat fish, whales and even other sharks.

19. It has also been known to eat things it can’t digest.

20. The great white has a sixth sense that allows him to detect electromagnetic fields that are emitted by even the slightest movement of his prey.

21. When it attacks, the great white will swim upward at a fast speed and then burst out of the water. This is called a breach.

22. Instead of chewing, great whites rip off hunks of flesh. And, after eating a large meal, a great white can last a month or two without additional food.

23. Great whites are infamous for attacks on humans, however there are less than 80 attacks reported each year.

24. Scientists think great whites attack humans because people either swim or float close to the surface and to the sharks, they look like seals.

25. Many people survive great white attacks because the shark will bite once and then back away to let his victim bleed to death and to avoid teeth and claw injuries from his prey.

26. When the shark backs away, humans have a chance to swim to safety.

27. Sharks that attack humans appear to either not like the taste of them or find the taste unfamiliar. Humans are generally too bony and sharks like fat.

28. In addition, great whites often grab unfamiliar objects in order to identify them. Consequently, many human attacks are really just “test bites.”

29. In spite of shark attacks, cage diving and swimming with sharks has become a very popular tourist activity in Australia and South Africa.

30. Divers “chum” the water with pieces of fish as they wait in a cage for the sharks so they can see them “up close and personal!”

31. Great white sharks are dangerous but awesome animals. And, they will always command respect from the other creatures of the oceans.

32. Let’s watch as a hungry shark goes after some meat being dragged behind a boat…