Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
As the biggest meat-eating sharks, great whites average between 4 and 7 meters but have been recorded at lengths over 11 meters. Great whites, which have torpedo-shaped bodies and pointed snouts, get their name from the distinctive white coloring on their undersides.
Due to severe overfishing, great whites are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN’s Red List. Even though they are protected internationally under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), great whites continue to be targeted for their teeth and jaws, which are sold on the black market.
As the star of “Jaws,” great white sharks have earned a fearsome reputation. Oceana is working to raise the awareness that we should be scared for sharks, not of them.
