A giant white shark tops the list of the most dangerous inhabitants of the deep sea. It was her bloodthirstiness that inspired filmmakers to create many horror films - this is how Jaws, the Open Sea, Red Water, and a number of similar paintings appeared.
This giant shark is considered a cannibal, which is not entirely true. She does not have a goal to catch people, she just hunts on her territory and attacks any suitable victim.
Let's get to know this dangerous predator closer. So, the white giant shark belongs to the herring shark family . It is easy to recognize by its impressive size, crescent dorsal fin and awesome jaws with two rows of sharp triangular teeth. Sharks live mainly in the open ocean, but can easily swim close to the shore.
Despite the fact that this species is called a white shark, it looks rather dark gray or brown. But her belly is really snowy white - it is clearly visible when she jumps out of the water during a hunt.
According to some sources, the white giant shark can reach up to 15 meters in length. But these are more legends than truth. Most often, individuals are 5-6 meters in length and weighing from 600 to 3000 kilograms. In size, they are second only to harmless whale and ordinary giant sharks.
White sharks feed not only on other
marine inhabitants, but also on their own, smaller and weaker relatives. They can swallow individuals up to two meters whole, and tear apart larger prey into pieces, since they do not know how to chew food.
The white giant shark attacks its victims (including humans) always in one of three scenarios.
The first, and most common, option is a single bite, after which the shark leaves and never returns. Most often this happens in troubled waters, so some believe that this type of attack occurs by mistake. Another explanation for single bites is the aggressive defense of the territory when the shark is not hungry, but simply drives the "competitor" from its site.
The second option - a white giant shark swims around its prey, gradually narrowing its circles, then comes close and bites. She is not limited to one bite, but returns again and again, gradually tearing the victim to pieces.
The third option (the rarest) is a surprise attack, without any preparation.
In the arsenal of a predator there are all three methods of attack, but a collision with it does not always end tragically for a person. Scientists from the United States have collected more than three hundred evidence that sharks are more likely to accidentally attack people, and then leave them with minor injuries and minor bites.
Not so long ago, near the coast of South Africa, there was a case when two white giant sharks attacked a 15-year-old surfer. His brother watched in horror from the shore. Imagine his surprise when the guy went ashore alive and almost unscathed - his fingers on his hand were only a little hurt. Why the sharks did not eat it is still a mystery to biologists.
According to the facts, the white giant shark most often attacks precisely surfers, much less often - against individual bathers or boats. Scientists explain this by the fact that from the deep sea the outlines of the surfboards are strikingly reminiscent of a fur seal - a favorite treat of sharks.
Despite all its power and apparent invulnerability, the white giant shark is listed in the Red Book, because in the whole ocean there are no more than 3,500 individuals. They live in the warm waters of temperate and subtropical latitudes, and most often they can be found near the rookeries of seals and seals, i.e. in southern Africa, off the coast of Australia and in Monterrey Bay, California.