Ocean Superkillers: The Ferocious Great White Shark
Great white sharks live alone, with an average length of four to six meters and an average weight of two tons. The largest great white shark measures 7.2 meters in length and weighs 3.2 tons.Every June, seawater from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans converges at Cape Agulhas in South Africa. This combination of energy and nutrients attracts large numbers of fish, followed by predators.
Great white sharks constantly hunt in the area. They are the ocean's most famous and ferocious hunters. Even their skin is covered with barbs, and most creatures hit by them will die instantly. As top predators in the food chain, great white sharks are very curious and will bite anything without hesitation, never missing a chance.
A large shark swimming in the water (image source: pixabay)
Great white sharks live alone, with an average length of four to six meters and an average weight of two tons. Females are generally slightly larger than males.
Great white sharks have black eyes, triangular serrated teeth, and powerful jaws. Their color is usually gray, pale blue or pale brown, with a pale white belly and a distinct boundary between the dorsal and ventral colors. Large sharks have a distinctly large body shape, resembling a crescent moon. In all sharks, the great white shark is the only one that can raise its head above the water, giving it an advantage in finding prey above the surface. Great white sharks have excellent hearing, able to clearly hear vibrations up to two kilometers away.
There is a sad and unforgettable story about the ferocity of great white sharks.
In February 1852, the British transport ship ‘Burchard’ was sailing off the coast of Gansbaai, South Africa. One kilometer from the coast, at a depth of two meters, there was a rocky shoal. It only appeared when waves surged through, forming a swirling wave. At that time, it was two o'clock in the morning, and there were 600 people on board, mostly soldiers, heading to the battlefield. The transport ship hit the shoal directly, and the ‘Burchard’ only had three lifeboats. The lifeboats gave way to women and children, and the severely damaged transport ship sank. The soldiers jumped into the sea to escape, and the 400 great white sharks surrounded them. The ruthless attack resulted in the loss of 400 lives, and the sea was stained red with blood. This shoal was later named ‘Burchard Rock’. This is the origin of the ‘women and children first’ tradition, and it is still used today as ‘Burchard’s regulations’.
About 3,000 families of sea dogs live on the nearby Gizzy Reef, approximately 60,000 sea dogs. They migrate to this place every spring for ten months, just to continue their species. Sea dogs are social animals, with each family consisting of one male and one to dozens of female sea dogs. Sea dogs are mammals, named for their dog-like appearance. They have fin-like limbs, which are suitable for swimming in the water, and use their limbs to move slowly on land. Sea dogs eat cod and salmon, and also eat crabs, shellfish, etc. They hunt for prey during the day in the near sea, and rest on the shore at night. They have sensitive hearing and smell.
On the opposite side of Gizzy Reef, less than 10 kilometers away, is Dell Island, which is a bird protection area. The narrow sea area between the two islands is called ‘Shark Channel’, where great white sharks hunt. Similarly, this area is also the habitat of sea dogs.
Kyle is a male sea dog, with 5 wives. In the morning, Kyle led his wives and other families of sea dogs to hunt together in the seaweed at the edge of the shore. Kyle would occasionally lift his body to breathe and also look around, maintaining vigilance while observing the surrounding movements. Perhaps it was a tacit understanding or the genetic habit of the race, and almost all sea dogs rushed out of the seaweed area simultaneously to enter the deep sea area. There were only delicious cod there.
Kyle’s family was lucky today, and they found a large group of salmon. Collective hunting is a basic skill that sea dogs have naturally acquired. They continuously swam and chased the fish in the sea, gradually driving the fish towards the surface. Only when the fish are on the surface, their activity range is the smallest and easiest to kill. They happily ate the fish, and the loud jumping sounds of the fish quickly attracted the great white sharks. The great white sharks stealthily approached the battlefield underwater, and stayed below the battlefield. Kyle was still happily eating, and didn't notice the danger arriving.
The great white shark’s body gradually straightened, it selected its target. Then it suddenly launched an attack, with a body volume of 50 kilometers per hour, quickly rushed towards the hunting sea dog. Kyle instinctively felt an abnormality in the water below its body, and slightly swerved to the side, this small distance saved itself.
‘Escape’ was Kyle’s only thought, relying on its strong physique and flexible skills to maneuver with the enemy. The great white shark’s teeth brushed across Kyle several times, and Kyle was repeatedly thrown into the air. Driven by the desire for survival, Kyle finally escaped to the back of the great white shark’s body, and the weak Kyle accompanied the great white shark to swim, this is the only way for sea dogs to escape being hunted by great white sharks.
After several twists and turns, Kyle finally returned safely to his home. After a few days of rest and care from his family, Kyle returned to his hunting team once again.
Great white sharks continue their hunting careers, not only harassing weaklings, but sometimes also displaying their fangs to larger whales and fellow great white sharks four to three times their size. They fight for territory and for survival.
Author: Han Qi Yi Ling
