Page 32 - Shark

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Distribution
of the great
white shark

Big Bite
A great white’s upper
jaw protrudes forward
and its snout is tipped
upward (right), so it can
grab a chunk of meat. This
shark may have become
accustomed to feeding from
a rope because the shark’s
eyes face forward and are
not rolled back as is normal
0 1,200 2,400 3,600 miles when attacking live prey.
What a great white eats

Great white sharks live in the cool to warm waters along
the coasts of the Americas, north and south Africa, the
Mediterranean, Japan, China, Korea, Australia, and
New Zealand. They also swim across oceans and
occur around some islands in the mid-Pacific
and Atlantic Oceans. They are often seen near
seal colonies, where they prey on both adults
and young, but only a few sharks seem to hunt
in any one area. When hunting a seal or a sea
lion, a great white charges through the water, then
attacks from below. Such is the force of the charge,
the great white may even jump high into the air.
Its victim may be released for a while before the shark
returns to finish it off. The great white’s diet changes as it
grows up. Young sharks of about 7–10 ft (2–3 m) long eat
mostly fish, while older sharks around 13 ft (4 m) long
tackle larger prey such as seals and sea lions.

On the menu
Great whites eat a variety of animals including bony fish, other
sharks, some sea birds, marine mammals (such as seals and
porpoises), and, occasionally, people! Penguins
in South Africa are used for target
practice, but are not usually eaten.
Great whites are also
scavengers and will eat
whale carcasses and
other dead animals.
Diver for tOp tiger
dinner Tigers and great whites are
the top predators of land and
sea, respectively. As adults, no
other animals eat them, though
Leopard they are killed by people. However,
sharks (above) are eaten tigers, like great whites, sometimes eat people.
by young great whites
along the Pacific coast
of North America Scientists have found remains of
jackass penguins, from South
Africa, with
Bony bite marks
fish, such as made by
cabezon (above), are great
eaten by young great whites
whites along the Pacific
coast of North America

California sea lions
(right) are eaten by Young elephant seals
adult great whites (above) are easy prey