Unlocking the Mysteries of the Great white shark

-

-->
by NECWA intern Emma Hoffstein


One of the most feared and misunderstood marine animals is the Great white shark. The latin name, Carcharodon carcharias, is taken from the Greek words for sharp, “karcharos” and for teeth, “odous”; the species name, carcharias, is taken from the Greek word for “to point”, which is used in the Australian Great white nickname, the White Pointer. Great whites live in waters worldwide, ranging from as far north as the Gulf of Maine to the southernmost points of New Zealand.

-->
-->
Great white shark - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org


Great whites reach full maturity rather late in life, at around age 26 for males at a max of 16 ft, and age 30-33 for females, which can reach maximum lengths of 20 ft or more. Great whites give birth to live young called pups, each around 5 ft in length, that are totally independent from birth! Currently, there are some areas of ocean thought to be white shark nurseries, such as Long Island Sound, NY, and the Baja Coast of California. These nurseries are calm, shallow waters near enough to land that the mother can feed well after birthing, and safe for her babies to spend the first part of their lives.

-->
biggest great white sharks off Hawaii ...
bbc.com


-->

White sharks feed mainly on seals and sea lions, attacking them from behind and below in a sneak attack their prey can’t see coming until it’s too late. Some populations of White sharks, notably in the warm waters off South Africa, have an unusual behavior where they breach, or jump, fully out of the water from their speedy vertical attacks. These breaching attacks are quite formidable to watch and are thought by some shark biologists to also be a way of showing off for a mate, or communicating, similar to whales and dolphins.

-->
Great White Shark | National Geographic
nationalgeographic.com


-->
In general, White sharks have no natural predators due to their ferocity and large size; occasionally, Killer whales (Orcinus orca) will prey on a lone White shark, such as a juvenile, elder shark, or injured/weak individual. However, the biggest threat to the Great white are humans! Practices such as overfishing and shark finning have decimated countless shark populations worldwide; annually, 8-11 humans are killed in shark-related incidences; compared to the number of sharks killed from finning each year, which totals over 100 million, it’s not fair to persecute a curious wild animal simply because it was defending itself from the strangers—humans—invading its native habitat.

-->
dummy seal off Cape Town, South Africa ...
telegraph.co.uk

It’s humanity’s job to advocate for the countless species and individuals who cannot do it themselves, mainly animals and plants. We have the most powerful and widespread voice, and our influence can know no bounds if we put ourselves out there and fight to protect our oceans and marine animals.
For more information on Great Whites and threats to sharks, please feel free to use the following links:

National Geographic Great White Shark Info:

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/great-white-shark

http://www.atlanticwhiteshark.org/

https://www.capecodtimes.com/great-white-sharks-map

https://oceana.org/blog/what-are-some-biggest-threats-facing-sharks


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Electric Torpedo Ray of New England

-
Image
The Shocking Ray of New England Blog by  Coleman Earner - December 21, 2020 Dead Torpedo Ray in Brewster, MA Torpedo Rays are a genus of rays that are part of the Order  Torpediniformes (electric rays). In reference to local sightings, the most commonly seen torpedo ray in the Cape Cod region is the Atlantic Torpedo ( Torpedo nobiliana ). They are cartilaginous fish (most similar to the structure of sharks and skates) with a flat and rounded disc-like structure. As suggested by their order, torpedo rays are most commonly known for their ability to discharge electricity of up to 220 volts from both pectoral fins (pectoral fins are flat and expanded and fused to the head area) as a self defense mechanism or as a means of capturing prey. Their feeding strategy consists of burying themselves under the sand and waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander by.  Dead Torpedo Ray on a Cape Cod Beach. Torpedo Rays feed mainly on benthic/pelagic fish such as flounders, damselfish, and other small fis
Read more

Ocean sunfish stranding at Linnell Landing - October 9, 2010

-
Image
This afternoon, Chris called about an ocean sunfish that stranded dead at the end of Linnell Landing in Brewster, MA. Krill Carson along with two NECWA interns, Nick Schomburg and Caitlyn Dionne, headed down or met at Linnell Landing in the late afternoon. When they arrived on the shores of Cape Cod Bay, a crowd was gathering around the ocean sunfish carcass that was just off the beach parking lot. This sunfish was almost 6 feet in length and some of the beachgoers indicated that it had come up on the beach around 2 pm that day. At first, it was difficult to look at the deep propellor scars that cut through the dorsal (top) surface of the sunfish and extended into its left flank. But sunset was quickly approaching so this team focused at the task at hand, that was collecting body measurements as well as tissues from this carcass. Nick and Krill conducted a Level A exam on the carcass and Caitlyn took pictures as well as recorded data. Krill was able to determine that this animal was
Read more

Wareham Classrooms have 2 Headstart Diamondback Terrapins

-
Image
Wareham Classrooms have 2 Headstart Diamondback Terrapins Terrapin Crush prior to this turtle's release.  NECWA was able to work with 2 Wareham Teachers this fall and winter as they participated in our Diamondback Terrapin Headstart program. One teacher, Lara Schofield, works at the high school and has previously participated in NECWA's head start program. The other teacher, Tanya Bungert, a middle school teacher, was new to the program this season.  Over the course of the school year, NECWA staff joined teachers and their students on numerous occasions, providing on-site guidance for caring and documenting the hatchlings. On two occasions , NECWA came into the High School to work with and present lessons on terrapins to the afterschool program run by teacher Lara Schofield. Working directly with students and their teachers is so important for these types of community  projects for it allows NECWA to see how successful our head start programs are.   NECWA would like to thank th
Read more