One of the largest species of fish predators are the great white sharks. Although considered extremely dangerous by many people, they actually do not attack, unless they feel threatened. The great white sharks are not so fiercesome as they seem to be in your minds. Here are some interesting facts about the great white sharks that shed some light on their character and behaviour.

Great white sharks try to avoid fighting for food. When there is only enough food for one, they have a tail-slapping contest. The sharks swim past each other, each slapping the surface of the water with their tails, and often directing the spray toward the other shark. The one of the two great white sharks who gets the meals is the shark that delivers the most tail slaps.

The great white sharks is actually not white. The colour of their bodies can range from dark blue, grey to brown or black. Their name comes from their universally white underbellies. The great white sharks rarely attack people, lest they should smell fear or blood. If you take a closer look at the snout of a great white shark, you will see that it is scratched and scarred. This is because of the fights they have with their prey. The great white shark eats so much that the food lasts for three months before needing one. Regarding the scratches on the snout, the great white sharks can also roll its eyeballs back, thus protecting the vital front part of the eye from being damaged. It is a known fact that most of the times, great white sharks fight with Orcas, better known as Killer whales. The Killer Whale is the only other predator that has been known to kill and eat the great white sharks.

The great white sharks are on the list of endangered species, since there are less than 10.000 sharks in the entire world. This is due to extensive poaching and the fact that great whit sharks breed late in life. They do not start breeding until they are at least twenty years old. Although they are dangerous predators, most of the people who have been attacked by the great white sharks, have survived. The shark realises it has made a mistake and does not finish off the prey.