Despite being top of the list of man-eaters, great whites are actually far more at danger from us than the other way around.

Statistics
These formidable sharks can grow up to 6m, although they average at about 4m.

Physical Description
Great white sharks have a white belly and a grey back. The coloration makes it difficult for prey to spot the shark because it breaks up the shark's outline when seen from a lateral perspective. When viewed from above, the darker shade blends in with the sea.

The snout is long and pointed, and the powerful teeth are triangular and serrated.

Habitat
One of the most wide-ranging of all sharks, white sharks are found both close inshore and well offshore over the deep oceans. They are distributed from cold boreal and sub-Antarctic seas through to the equator, but most often in the temperate zones.

Diet
Fearsome predators, great whites hunt fish, including other sharks, sea lions, seals, sea-birds, small whales, turtles, porpoises and carrion. They tend to attack from below the prey.

Great whites can reach speeds of 25 mph when in pursuit of prey and can leap clear out of the water.

They are the top of the list of man-eaters and are responsible for about 5-10 attacks a year. It is thought that shark attacks may be due to mistaken identity, as the silhouette of a swimmer viewed from below is similar to a seal or sea lion. Other theories are that attacks are caused by territorial aggression and competitive displacement, as almost all shark attacks on humans appear to be non-predatory in motivation.

Behaviour
It is only recently that the behaviour of great whites is being studied in detail. They are thought to have a myriad of social behaviours and are thought to establish intricate peer relationships at all size classes.

As well as a good sense of smell, great whites have good vision.

Reproduction
Females are thought to give birth to nine live offspring.

Conservation status
Great white sharks are classified as Vulnerable by the 2000 IUCN Red List. The majority of all mortality each year is through accidental entrapment in commercial fisheries and entanglement in anti-shark beach nets. This species is now protected by national legislation in South Africa, Namibia, California, Florida, all of Australia and Malta. It is afforded regional protected status in all eastern US coastal states, in the Mediterranean Sea under the Barcelona Convention (1993) and in Brazil.

Records
Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish.

Records
Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish.