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

Why are white sharks in South Africa?

Wednesday, March 07, 2012 |  0 Comment Tags: south africa, white sharks,

Author:

This has a lot to do with their “heterothermy” mentioned in the last blog post. South Africa is a temperate sea, mostly cold water, especially in the Western Cape. If you look at other areas of the world with temperate seas (i.e. California, USA or West/South Australia) they also have white sharks in those areas. This is because white sharks are one of the few sharks specially adapted to tolerate cold waters. There are also plenty of seals in our area to keep the sharks well fed.

comments powered by Disqus