Known as being one of the world's most prolific "man eaters" Great White
Sharks are one of the most powerful and formidable ocean predators in
the modern day world. Accountable for up to half of shark attacks on
people worldwide every year, Great White Sharks often crop up in the
media with high profile stories about their latest human victims and are
often then hunted down because of it. But are they really out to prey
on people or is it us that are intruding in their natural environments
that cause such instances to occur?
Great
White Sharks predominantly hunt for large marine mammals such as seals,
sea lions and dolphins and locate their prey using their exceptional
sense of smell and their ability to detect vibrations in the water
around them caused by other species. They have comparably poor eyesight,
a sense that only comes into play right at the last minute of the hunt.
The most common instances of people being attacked by Great White
Sharks is in temperate, coastal regions where humans swimming in the sea
and surfing the waves are mistaken for a seal on the surface of the
water.
Great White Sharks have a unique method of hunting. Once
their prey is detected, the shark attacks the animal with great force
and retreats until the wounded creature has weakened enough for the
shark to feel it is safe enough to return. Although attacks on humans
are not unheard of, fatalities to people caused by Great White Sharks
are actually pretty rare, with lightening strikes and bee stings being
of more of a threat to human life. New research has discovered that due
to the naturally curious nature of Great White Sharks, after their
"sample bite" their victim is quickly released, indicating that eating
people is not actually in their meal plan.
Although exact
population numbers are not known, Great White Shark populations are
decreasingly throughout their natural range due to hunting for their
teeth, jaws and fins by fishermen and trophy hunters. They are also
threatened by habitat degradation and loss of some areas close to
beaches that have been meshed to protect swimmers from attack. These
areas though are vital, safe places where females can give birth to
their young and are also used as nursery grounds until the pups have
developed the skills and confidence to venture into the open oceans.
