GREAT WHITE SHARKS

By: Abigail Sullivan

Period 1
 Body Description
This sixteen foot, seven thousand pound beast has a body
of a warrior, made entirely of cartilage, no bone. The body
of a Great white shark includes: paired pectoral fins to lift
the body as it swims, paired pelvic fins for stabilization, a
dorsal fin also for stabilization, and a tail fin to propel the
shark through the ocean. Great whites use ram ventilation
for breathing. This is when the shark propels itself through
the water as water ventilates through its 5 gill slits. Great
white sharks are grey on the top and white on the bottom
for blending into their environment. Their skin is rough and
hard for protection against predators. Their eyes are all
black and they actually have poor eye sight. Sharks smell
through their gill slits.
 Senses
Sharks have various senses. These senses include sensing
changes in water pressure, their eye sight, and their hearing.
Sharks also have a very strong sense in smell, so strong that they
can smell a drop of blood in 25 gallons of water. Sharks can sense
electrical fields given off by all animals, and can also detect
magnetic fields which they can use for navigation.
Great white shark diet
Young great white sharks dine on fish, rays, and
other sharks.
Adults eat larger prey such as, sea lions, seals,
small toothed whales, otters, and sea turtles. Great
whites dont chew their food, due to their teeth
ripping the prey into bite sized pieces which allow
them to swallow it whole.
Fun fact: a big meal is enough to satisfy a
great white for up to two months.
 Gentle giant
Most often, Great white sharks are thought of being
vicious killers when really, they are gentle creatures
who are misunderstood. Out of the 200 million
people who visit U.S beaches yearly, an average of
only 36 shark attacks happen all year round. For
every one human killed by a shark, there are
approximately 25 million sharks killed by humans
for their fins. Sharks true intentions are to roam
around finding food in peace, humans become the
target when either trying to interact & bother the
Great white or when they get mistaken for prey
 Reproduction
Great white sharks give birth to 2-14 babies that are 5-
foot long each, also known as pups. Fertilization of the
eggs occurs within the female, the eggs hatch within
the females and are nourished by eating unfertilized
eggs and smaller siblings in the womb. There is no
placenta to feed the pups, so they must nourish
themselves even before birth. After birth they swim
away from their mother and are off to live and fend for
themselves.
Population and migration
Great white sharks have been around for about 400 million
years, but due to them being hunted for years by man for their
fins, their population is decreasing. Thankfully, great white
sharks are protected along the coasts of California, USA,
Australia, and South Africa.

Great white sharks are also known for their adaptation to the
waters they migrate to throughout the seasons. Three major
factors that cause these sharks to migrate are temperature &
season changes, reproduction, and food sources. Great white
sharks are endotherms meaning they are half cold-blooded half
warm-blooded. Their internal body temperature is the same as
the outside water temperatures. Movement of fish which the
shark preys on will cause the shark to follow in pursuit.
 Current event
A great white shark was spotted recently on Alligator Reef off
Islamorada in the Florida Keys on April 17th, 2016. The shark
was spotted by a friend of Captain Charles Muller as the 10 to
12- foot shark circled his charter boat that was docked at the
time. The shark circled for about 30 minutes before Muller got
in the water to videotape the great white. "I've never seen
anything like this in my life, especially not in the Keys, and I've
swam with a lot of sharks," Muller said Sunday. Muller was
driving a charter boat filled with 15 exchange students from
Thailand that he ushered to get out of the water once he got
the news of the shark.
 Nerdy shark facts
On average, they grow up to be 4.6 meters, and some have
measured to be 6 meters, that amounts to about half the length
of a bus.
Their tail propels about 60 km per hour
In the womb, sharks eat their siblings to survive. Only the
weakest links die.
A great whites mouth is equipped with 3,000 triangular teeth
that are razor sharp and in rows.
The biggest shark spotted was 23 feet long, longer than the
beast in the movie Jaws was said to be.
When pups are born, they have a hard life and their mother
shows no care and will try to eat them, so they swim away after
being birthed.
When great white shark comes underneath its prey and leaps out
of the water, it is called a breach.
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