What Do Great White Sharks Eat? (original) (raw)

Great white sharks are known for their diverse diet, which includes a variety of marine animals.

They primarily feed on seals, such as grey seals, northern elephant seals, harbour seals, earless seals, and brown fur seals.

In addition to seals, great white sharks eat various species of dolphins, including harbour, dusky, and bottlenose. They are also known to prey on whales, including beaked whales and humpbacks. In this infamous footage, a great white shark can be observed killing and eating a whale caught in fishing gear.

Great white sharks prey on a variety of fish too, such as tuna and mackerel, as well as seabirds like gulls, penguins, and cormorants. They’ll also eat rays and even other sharks. Finally, they have been observed eating turtles.

Here’s the full list:

Great White Shark Hunting Techniques

Great white sharks are opportunistic hunters and use different techniques depending on their prey. They are known for their ability to ambush their prey from below, breaching the surface of the water to catch it by surprise. They can also use a stalking approach, slowly swimming towards their prey, and then suddenly lunging forward to attack. Sharks of all kinds will often avoid direct confrontation, as an injury can reduce their hunting efficiency, something that can ultimately prove fatal.

The Role of Shark Teeth in Hunting

Great white sharks' teeth are designed to rip and tear flesh. Their teeth are arranged in several rows, and as the front teeth are worn down, they are replaced by new ones from behind. This means that a great white shark can lose up to 50,000 teeth in its lifetime.