Great White Sharks: Staying Safe from Australia's Most Infamous Predator
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Great white sharks, scientifically known as Carcharodon carcharias, are synonymous with Australian waters. They’ve been here longer than we have, will outlast us, and will continue to share our waters for as long as we’re here.
Ask any tourist, and they’ll want to know if it’s actually safe to go swimming at the beach. While the answer is “yes” and great white shark attacks are low, the number of attacks is never zero. With just a little knowledge, you can be better prepared and get those odds down even lower.
What is a Great White Shark: Appearance and Behaviour
The great white shark is one of the largest of all shark species. It has a torpedo-shaped body, with a grey-black back and a stark white underside, a large triangular dorsal fin, crescent-shaped tail, and a pointed snout. Its jaw holds around 300 teeth, serrated and triangular, arranged in rows and continuously replaced throughout its life.
Great whites can reach burst swimming speeds of around 40 kilometres per hour. They are largely solitary. Juvenile great whites eat fish, rays, and squid. As they grow, their diet shifts toward marine mammals. Adults hunt seals, sea lions, and dolphins.
Where You'll Find Them: Distribution and Habitat
The great white shark is found in temperate and subtropical oceans worldwide, including the Mediterranean Sea and the coasts of South Africa, California, and New Zealand. In Australia, its range covers the coastline from Western Australia around the southern coast to central Queensland, including Tasmanian waters.
Great whites are highly migratory and will leave coastal waters for the open ocean.
Great White Sharks and Human Attacks
Most bites by a great white shark on a human are attributed to curiosity rather than their predatory nature, as they use their mouths to explore unfamiliar objects. Australia records around 15 to 20 unprovoked shark bites each year, with one to two fatalities on average. Dawn, dusk, and night are when most attacks occur as this is when they feed.
Preventing a Great White Attack
Reducing your exposure to a great white shark encounter comes down to where and when you enter the water. Swim at beaches patrolled by surf lifesavers during the day and stay between the flags. Remove any shiny jewellery before entering the water that might attract sharks and avoid unnecessary or erratic splashing. If you see a shark, exit the water steadily and without sudden movements, and alert a lifeguard immediately
Stay away from murky or discoloured water, river mouths, and steep underwater drop-offs, as sharks are more likely to be present in these areas and visibility is reduced. Avoid the water near seals, sea lions, or fishing activity.
What to Do When Someone is Bitten
A great white shark bite is powerful enough to take off an arm or a leg. Even a minor bite can cause enough blood loss to kill someone. If you’re bitten or see someone else get attacked:
Get the person out of the water. Use a surfboard, boat, or any other floating object to bring the person to shore rather than swimming directly to them.
Call triple zero. If you cannot call, send someone else while you begin first aid.
Control the bleeding. Place both hands firmly on the wound and press down hard using a clean cloth, clothing, or any absorbent material you have. Add more material on top if blood soaks through, and do not lift the cloth to check if the bleeding has stopped. If bleeding continues, tie a tourniquet between the wound and the heart.
Manage shock. Lay the person flat on their back and elevate their legs, unless this causes them pain. Keep the person warm by covering them with a towel, jacket, or blanket, and keep them as still as possible. Stay with them and reassure them until help arrives. If they lose consciousness or begin to vomit, roll them onto their side.
Stay Safe at the Beach
A great white shark attack is rare, but when one happens, the people nearby decide what comes next. Bystanders who know how to control severe bleeding and manage shock are the ones who keep someone alive until an ambulance arrives. A nationally recognised first aid course prepares you to act in those first critical minutes. Enrolling in first aid training is how you become the person someone beside you might one day depend on.
FAQs
Are Great White Sharks Endangered?
Great whites are not an endangered species, but they are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List globally and as vulnerable and migratory under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
What Does it Mean to Be an Apex Predator?
An apex predator sits at the top of the food chain, with no natural predators of its own. Great whites fill that role in marine ecosystems by keeping populations of seals, dolphins, and other marine animals in check.
How Long Do Great White Sharks Live?
Great white sharks can live for more than 70 years, making them among the longest-lived fish on Earth. This slow maturity rate means white shark populations recover slowly after a decline.
