open
<
1/7
  • Shark cage diving in Gansbaai, South Africa with Marine Dynamics. Experience the exceptional and come face to face with a great white shark! 

  • The exact world record white shark is a contested issue, but chances are it is between 6-7m. In Gansbaai, the largest white shark ever caught was at Danger Point and measured up to 5.9m.

  • If you see a white shark in the water don’t panic. Chances are high that the shark has already detected you and isn’t interested. White shark attacks are normally associated with poor visibility, so avoid murky conditions.

  • White sharks have a unique system called a “counter current heat exchange”, which keeps their body  tempreture +/- 7C above the surrounding water temperature. 

  • All sharks have an incredibly unique system on the tip of their nose called the “ampillae of Lorenzini”. These are small pores filled with a gel that transmits the electrical currents in the water to the shark’s brain so that it can assess its environment.

  • White sharks give birth to live young (not eggs), and they give birth to 6-8 pups at one time. Pups are usually between 1.0-1.5m in length and are born with teeth.

  • Body language has been a well documented form of shark communication and has identified body arching, jaw gaping, and other postures as specific social tactics.

>

Sharkwatch SA Blog

Book Now

How do sharks mate?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 |  7 Comments Tags: mating, shark fact,

Author:

White shark sex has never been documented, so we are not sure!  However, other species of shark mate pretty dramatically.  The males tend to sneak up onto the female (who is usually bigger than the male).  The male will then bite the female around the gills to stabilize her and he will insert one of his claspers into her cloacae to deliver his sperm.  Check out this video of lemon sharks mating from Cocos Islands:



Here in Gansbaai, we have seen female white sharks with these tell-tale bite marks around the gills – so shark love just may be in the water around us! 

comments powered by Disqus