WHITE SHARK

also called great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), species of large, aggressive shark of the family Isuridae (or Lamnidae) that is considered to be more dangerous to human beings than any other shark. It is also known as the white pointer, man-eater, and white death. The white shark is found in tropical and temperate regions of all oceans. It typically lives in the open sea, but it often enters inshore waters. The white shark is notorious for its unprovoked, sometimes lethal attacks on swimmers, divers, surfers, and even small boats. It is noted, aside from its potential as a man-eater, for a voracious appetite and a diet that includes large and small fishes, other sharks, dolphins, seals, turtles, birds, and ships' garbage. It is a heavy-bodied shark with a crescent-shaped tail and large, saw-edged, triangular teeth. The white shark is dangerous because of its large size as well as its aggressive behaviour. One specimen weighed 3,300 kg (7,300 pounds) and was 6.4 m (21 feet) long. The shark usually attains a maximum length of about 11 m (36 feet). It is generally gray, bluish, or brownish, with the colour shading suddenly into a whitish belly; large individuals are reported to be paler.