White sharks are the world’s largest predatory fish. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, they are part of the warm-blooded shark family called Lamnidae, or mackerel sharks, which can sustain an internal body temperature that is warmer than their external surroundings. Unlike other cold-blooded sharks. great white sharks live in secrecy, and scientists still have a lot to learn about these legendary predators. Great white sharks can be found in most temperate and tropical waters across the world with populations living off the shores of the United States, Australia, South Africa, and other countries. The size of great white sharks varies; however, females might be larger than males. The greatest white sharks can grow to 20 feet long (6.1 m). Great white sharks are predators that eat a range of food, including fish, seals, sea turtles, and seabirds. When they are young, they consume smaller prey like squids and stingrays. As they get older, they switch to devouring marine mammals like seals, sea lions, and dolphins.
Great white sharks and other sharks perform a vital role in the ocean by seeking prey. They maintain prey populations healthy by trapping weak and diseased individuals, as well as preventing populations from becoming too large for a habitat’s resources to support. Great white sharks can also be prey; however, their chances of being eaten decrease as they grow older and larger. Adult great white sharks are only eaten by larger adult great white sharks, which may hunt great whites for their energy-rich livers. According to a 2018 assessment by the IUCN, great white sharks are endangered and their population is declining. This means that, while these sharks are not formally endangered, they are in danger of becoming so.
