01-26-2004, 12:44 AM
WHITE SHARK Carcharodon carcharias. ![[Image: whiteshark.jpg]](http://i.timeinc.net/fieldstream/images_small/whiteshark.jpg)
The white shark goes by a few different names, such as white pointer, white death, man-eater, and great white shark, the last two of which hint at both the deadly habits and threatening size of this mackerel shark. Although a relatively uncommon and deep water fish, the white shark occasionally enters shallow waters and will attack, without provocation, humans and small boats alike; since it is often found near islands and offshore colonies of seals and sea lions, which are some of its preferred foods, it is thought that some attacks on humans occur because the white shark mistakes divers or surfers in wetsuits for seals. It is undoubtedly the most dangerous shark due to a combination of size, strength, ability, and disposition to attack, and because of the many recorded attacks that have taken place in the 20th century.
Growing to 26 feet but usually less than 16, the white shark has a stout, heavy body which may be a dull slate blue, grayish brown, or almost black above, turning dirty white below. There are black edges on the pectoral fins, and often there is a black oval blotch on the body just above or behind the fins. The large head ends in a point at the conical snout, which accounts for the name "white pointer." There is a large, distinct, flattened keel on either side of the caudal peduncle and a greatly reduced second dorsal fin. A distinguishing feature of the white shark is its teeth, which are large and triangular with sharp, serrated cutting edges.
Sportfishing for whites has virtually come to an end as a result of conservation efforts aimed at preserving the greatest of the predators, which were never very abundant in any case. Most whites are found in temperate or even cool waters worldwide and close to a source of the marine mammals, which they prefer to eat after growing to large sizes. Actually, there are two much larger sharks, the basking shark of the North Atlantic and the whale shark of the tropics, but these are harmless plankton feeders.
Though Alf Dean's white shark record -- 2,664 pounds off South Australia in 1959 -- continues to be recognized by the IGFA, a much larger 17-foot specimen of 3,427 pounds was caught on August 6, 1986 on legitimate tackle by Donnie Braddick out of Montauk, New York. Capt. Frank Mundus had found a dead whale floating offshore, a sure attraction for huge whites and tigers which seem to appear out of nowhere for such a feast. Though sharks feeding on blubber have no interest in fish, Mundus (who had harpooned several great whites over the years) managed to slip a string of baitfish into a white's mouth to get the hook-up. After much controversy, the IGFA decided not to accept the catch since the dead whale was, in effect, the forbidden mammal chum.
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The white shark goes by a few different names, such as white pointer, white death, man-eater, and great white shark, the last two of which hint at both the deadly habits and threatening size of this mackerel shark. Although a relatively uncommon and deep water fish, the white shark occasionally enters shallow waters and will attack, without provocation, humans and small boats alike; since it is often found near islands and offshore colonies of seals and sea lions, which are some of its preferred foods, it is thought that some attacks on humans occur because the white shark mistakes divers or surfers in wetsuits for seals. It is undoubtedly the most dangerous shark due to a combination of size, strength, ability, and disposition to attack, and because of the many recorded attacks that have taken place in the 20th century.
Growing to 26 feet but usually less than 16, the white shark has a stout, heavy body which may be a dull slate blue, grayish brown, or almost black above, turning dirty white below. There are black edges on the pectoral fins, and often there is a black oval blotch on the body just above or behind the fins. The large head ends in a point at the conical snout, which accounts for the name "white pointer." There is a large, distinct, flattened keel on either side of the caudal peduncle and a greatly reduced second dorsal fin. A distinguishing feature of the white shark is its teeth, which are large and triangular with sharp, serrated cutting edges.
Sportfishing for whites has virtually come to an end as a result of conservation efforts aimed at preserving the greatest of the predators, which were never very abundant in any case. Most whites are found in temperate or even cool waters worldwide and close to a source of the marine mammals, which they prefer to eat after growing to large sizes. Actually, there are two much larger sharks, the basking shark of the North Atlantic and the whale shark of the tropics, but these are harmless plankton feeders.
Though Alf Dean's white shark record -- 2,664 pounds off South Australia in 1959 -- continues to be recognized by the IGFA, a much larger 17-foot specimen of 3,427 pounds was caught on August 6, 1986 on legitimate tackle by Donnie Braddick out of Montauk, New York. Capt. Frank Mundus had found a dead whale floating offshore, a sure attraction for huge whites and tigers which seem to appear out of nowhere for such a feast. Though sharks feeding on blubber have no interest in fish, Mundus (who had harpooned several great whites over the years) managed to slip a string of baitfish into a white's mouth to get the hook-up. After much controversy, the IGFA decided not to accept the catch since the dead whale was, in effect, the forbidden mammal chum.
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![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage2792202.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage2792202.jpg)