What do Great White Sharks Eat

 

Great white sharks are the largest known predatory fish in the entire ocean. They are classified as a mackerel shark and their teeth often break off when they hunt their prey. This article will answer the question what do great white sharks eat, as well as look at how great white sharks find their prey and look at four interesting facts about great white sharks.

Firstly, let’s look to answer the question what do great sharks eat. Great white sharks are carnivorous (meat eater) and love to feast on animals with very high fat contents. Great white sharks primarily eat fish, tuna, stingrays, smaller sharks, porpoises, dolphins, whales, seals, fur seals and sea lions. Great white sharks have also been known to eat sea turtles. While great white sharks will attack sea otters and penguins they very rarely eat them. Great white sharks will also eat pig carcasses if they are in the ocean. So now you know the answer to the question what do great white sharks eat. Now, let’s look at how they find their prey.

Great white sharks primarily locate their prey based on smell and sound. They can hear and smell their prey from many kilometres away and start to move towards their prey. When the great white sharks are close to their prey they rely on their sight to spot their prey. Great white sharks typically stay below their prey and ambush them, taking them by complete surprise. Great white sharks typically attack their prey in the morning as it is harder to see the sharks at the bottom of the ocean in the morning. Now you know what do great sharks eat and how do they find their prey. Next we look at four interesting facts about great white sharks.

Fact 1: It is believed great white sharks live from 30-40 years but this is still unknown.

Fact 2: Great white sharks have been known to attack and even sink boats up to 10m long!

Fact 3: Great white sharks live in water where the temperature is between 12°C and 25°C (54°F to 78°F).

Fact 4: Great white sharks can be as long as 6m (20ft) and weigh up to 2,200kg (nearly 5,000lb)