White giant shark - the most dangerous sea predator

The giant white shark tops the list of the mostdangerous inhabitants of the deep sea. It was her bloodthirstiness that inspired filmmakers to create a multitude of horror films - this is how “Jaws”, “Open Sea”, “Red Water” and a number of similar films appeared.

This giant shark is considered a cannibal, which is not entirely true. She has no purpose to catch people, she just hunts in her territory and attacks any suitable victim.

Let's take a closer look at this dangerouspredator. So, the white giant shark belongs to the herring shark family. It is easily recognizable by its impressive size, crescent dorsal fin and frightening jaws with two rows of sharp triangular teeth. Sharks live mainly in the open ocean, but can easily swim close to the shore.

Although this species is called whiteshark, it looks rather dark gray or brown. But the belly of her and really snow-white - this is clearly seen when she jumps out of the water during a hunt.

Белая гигантская акула - по некоторым сведениям - can reach up to 15 meters in length. But these are legends rather than truth. The most common individuals are 5-6 meters in length and weighing from 600 to 3000 kilograms. In size, they are inferior only to harmless whale and ordinary giant sharks.

White sharks feed not only on other marine species.inhabitants, but also their own, smaller and weaker relatives. Individuals up to two meters away can be swallowed whole, and larger prey is torn to pieces, since they cannot chew food.

The white giant shark attacks its victims (including people) always in one of three scenarios.

The first and most common option issingle bite, after which the shark leaves and never returns. This most often happens in muddy waters, so some believe that this type of attack happens 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 - the white giant shark swimsaround his victim, gradually narrowing circles, then comes close and bites. It is not limited to one bite, but returns again and again, gradually tearing the victim into pieces.

The third option (the rarest) is a surprise attack, without any preparation.

В арсенале хищницы имеются все три способа attacks, but a collision with it does not always end tragically for a person. Scientists from the United States have collected more than three hundred testimonies that sharks, rather, accidentally attack people, and then leave them with light wounds and minor bites.

Not so long ago, near the coast of South Africa there was a casewhen a 15-year-old surfer was attacked at once by two white giant sharks. This was watched in horror from the shore by his brother. What was his surprise when the guy came ashore alive and almost unharmed - his fingers were only slightly injured. Why the sharks have not eaten it - is still a mystery to biologists.

According to the facts, the white giant shark is more oftenit attacks surfers of all, much less often individual bathers or boats. Scientists attribute this to the fact that from the depths of the sea the outline of a surfboard is strikingly reminiscent of a fur seal, a favorite delicacy of sharks.

Despite all its power and seeminginvulnerability, 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 more often they can be found near the rookery of seals and seals, i.e. in southern Africa, off the coast of Australia and in the Bay of Monterrey, in California.