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The great white shark is a mighty creature, but even it isn't immune to its share of dangers and misadventures. While humans remain a persistent threat, sharks sometimes find themselves in trouble in unexpected ways. They might choke on food, leap into boats, or mess up hunts.
At times, they have little power over who or what targets them. There's a strange brain fungus, and orcas often treat them like a quick meal. But occasionally, the luckiest sharks find humans on their side—experts and the public rally together to save a shark that's had a close call.
10. Mother of 14
In early 2019, a pregnant great white shark was caught under mysterious circumstances off the coast of Taiwan. The fishermen claimed it was an accident, yet it ended up bringing in a hefty profit at the local market. A taxidermy company purchased the body for almost $2,000.
As the shark was being cut open at the fish market, the butcher discovered 14 pups inside her two wombs, setting a new record for the species. The mother herself was a stunning specimen. At over 4.7 meters (15 ft) in length, she was on the brink of giving birth when she was caught.
For scientists, the capture of the shark was a bittersweet moment. Great whites are classified as a vulnerable species, and the loss of a pregnant female was significant. However, the rare nature of the catch—a pregnant great white—made it invaluable for research. The photos of the mother and pups offered key insights, particularly into the condition and feeding habits of the young, who were feeding on unfertilized eggs in the womb.
9. The Botched Hunt
In 2015, a great white shark decided it was in the mood for seagull. Spotting one on the sand at Cape Cod, the shark lunged toward it but ended up stranding itself on the shore.
Startled beachgoers watched as the 2-meter-long (6.6 ft) predator found itself in trouble. It became trapped in a shallow puddle, and caring bystanders attempted to help, figuratively performing CPR from a distance.
Great white sharks must constantly filter water through their gills to extract oxygen. Thanks to a bucket brigade, volunteers kept the shark doused with water. While it continued to breathe, the juvenile male could only survive in this state for so long. Fortunately, the harbormaster arrived just in time and pulled the young shark back into the sea.
A marine biologist happened to be nearby when the shark beached. Before releasing the animal, the biologist tagged it with a tracking device. While the shark may have missed a meal, it became part of a rescue effort and will now contribute valuable data for science.
8. The Unsolved Infection
Shark strandings typically follow a seasonal pattern. However, in recent years, the number of shark fatalities was so high that researchers realized something was seriously wrong. Mark Okihiro, a California fish pathologist and expert on shark deaths, investigated hundreds of sharks from various species. The majority of these mysterious deaths pointed to a rare brain infection, something unknown in sharks just a few years prior.
In 2017, a great white shark ended up on Okihiro's examination table. Beachgoers had spotted the young shark in shallow waters near Santa Cruz. They returned it to deeper waters, but the shark appeared disoriented and soon died.
Okihiro determined that the shark had suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage caused by an infection. Initially, the researcher expected to find meningitis. Sharks that had previously shown similar symptoms were found to have died from the meningitis-causing Carnobacterium, but there was no trace of it in the great white.
Before long, hundreds of sharks from various species began dying in the same manner around San Francisco Bay. Eventually, Okihiro pinpointed a fungus as the culprit. However, the exact nature of the fungus and why it proves so deadly to sharks remain a mystery.
7. The Deadly Display
In 2016, the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium finally gave in to repeated requests from visitors. Located in Japan, the aquarium had faced ongoing demands to showcase a great white shark. When a shark was accidentally captured off the southwest coast, the institution decided to take it in.
The great white shark is far from a goldfish. It's an incredibly challenging species to maintain in captivity. It must constantly move to extract oxygen from the water and regulate its body temperature.
The aquarium proudly announced they had successfully kept the -meter (11.5 ft) male shark alive. Just three days later, it was dead. The shark had refused food since its capture. Despite this, it appeared healthy and swam around with the other sharks in the aquarium.
At one point, the male shark suffered a collapse and sank to the bottom of the tank. He passed away shortly after the staff attempted to resuscitate him with oxygen. The aquarium stated they would investigate the cause of death, but activists believed that the stress of being captured and held in captivity was too much for the shark to endure.
6. The Turtle Incident
In 2019, a fisherman overheard his colleagues joking over the radio about a shark. They claimed the shark was swimming with a giant turtle in its mouth and couldn’t manage to spit it out.
Initially, Greg Vella didn’t take the conversation seriously. He continued his work as a tuna fisherman near Japan. However, the next day, he came across the reality of the situation. A large great white had become entangled in some netting, with a massive turtle lodged in its mouth.
By the time the shark was found, it had perished, likely due to choking on its odd meal. There was also a possibility that the great white had died from a different cause, such as feeling unwell and regurgitating the turtle. The exact cause remained unclear, but the whole event was highly unusual.
Turtles of such size are known for their survival skills. Sharks usually avoid them because of their defensive techniques. Turtles can maneuver in a way that makes swallowing them nearly impossible. But this shark managed to take one down, though it may have resulted in the end of both their lives.
5. A Shark Named Fluffy
In 2017, a young shark embarked on an unexpected journey. Perhaps unintentional, but the juvenile great white certainly had quite the adventure, involving rocks, an ocean pool, an aquarium tank, and even a boat ride.
In September, the 1.8-meter-long (5.9 ft) predator was discovered struggling on the rocks at Manly Beach in Sydney. Experts from the Manly Sea Life Sanctuary decided to transfer the shark to a nearby ocean pool to help it recover from the ordeal of being stranded.
While at the sanctuary, the life science manager humorously told some children that the shark's name was 'Fluffy.' The name caught on, and before long, many had heard it and the name stuck.
After taking a few hours to rest, Fluffy spent the night at the aquarium. But he wasn't alone. Throughout the night, divers stayed in his tank to ensure he didn't injure himself in the cramped space. The next day, the shark enjoyed a boat ride into deeper waters, reducing his chances of being stranded again.
4. The Boat Breach
In 2017, Terry Selwood had planned to fish for snapper off the northern coast of New South Wales, Australia. Instead, a great white shark leapt into his boat. The shark's fin brushed against Selwood's arm, ripping the skin off. This shouldn't be surprising, given that sharkskin is made up of scales that resemble tiny teeth. The shark also reportedly knocked him over.
It wasn’t a pleasant experience for the shark either. Measuring around 3 meters (9 ft), it was nearly the same size as the boat. The shark became stuck and eventually died. After Selwood was rescued by marine teams, the great white had to be removed with a forklift.
Shark experts confirmed that the jump was not an attack on Selwood. The leaps often shown in documentaries are typically triggered by filmmakers who drag meat at high speeds to entice sharks into leaping.
Selwood, who was not in the water at the time, stated that there were no fish near the surface, which is usually the reason sharks breach. The shark might have been attracted to Selwood’s bait. Other possibilities include the shark jumping for an unknown reason or being hooked and reeled in like a typical fish. Without a necropsy (animal autopsy), this rare occurrence may remain a mystery.
3. Beer Can Beach Shooting
In 2018, a shark was discovered on California’s Beer Can Beach. Initially, the cause of death for the 2.7-meter-long (9 ft) predator was uncertain. A news crew reported that the great white appeared to be unharmed.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) performed a necropsy and discovered .22-caliber bullets inside the shark. Although the wounds weren’t immediately apparent, one bullet had severed the spinal cord, ultimately killing the shark.
California law mandates a special permit to hunt this vulnerable species. Since no such permit had been obtained, CDFW initiated a criminal investigation. Shortly afterward, an anonymous tip led authorities to a commercial fisherman suspected of shooting the shark.
Investigators followed the lead on the location of the boat. Upon inspection, they discovered several fishing violations. When questioned, Vinh Pham accused another crew member of the shooting, but officers found the firearm in Pham’s truck, and ballistics tests linked the bullets to his rifle.
Ultimately, Pham admitted to the shooting. His reason? He was irritated that the shark had swum too close to his nets. In 2019, Pham was convicted, fined $5,000, and placed on probation for two years.
2. The Australian Disappearance
In 2003, researchers affixed a tag to a great white shark and released it off the coast of southwestern Australia. The tag was designed to collect data on the shark's depths and temperatures. In 2014, the tag was discovered on a beach, located 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) from where it had been initially attached to the shark.
When the shark was no longer present, the data was examined, revealing a startling incident. About four months after the tag was applied, the shark made a rapid dive, reaching 580 meters (1,903 ft) in depth. At the same time, the temperature spiked from 8°C (46°F) to 26°C (78°F).
Clearly, the shark's sudden descent was likely an attempt to escape something. The temperature increase probably indicated the body temperature of whatever had been bold enough to attack the nearly 3-meter-long (9 ft) shark.
While it’s possible that another great white was responsible, the most likely culprit was a killer whale. Orcas are the only other predators capable of taking down a great white, and the orca's stomach temperature closely matched the spike recorded by the tag, whereas a shark's body temperature would have been lower.
1. Orcas Snack On Them
While great white sharks are formidable hunters, they tend to vacate the area when killer whales show up. The reason is gruesome. Orcas have developed a taste for shark livers, and this has been observed off the coasts of Australia and San Francisco. Both species also inhabit the western coast of South Africa. In 2017, three great whites were found dead on the beach there within just four days.
Necropsies revealed that their livers had been removed. A few weeks later, a fourth great white was discovered, missing not just its liver, but also its stomach and testes. This shark, measuring 4 meters (13 ft) long, had been eviscerated and abandoned, a victim of another predator.
Although there were no eyewitnesses to the killings, the wounds and the rapid succession of deaths pointed to orca involvement. There are reasons why sharks’ livers are considered a delicacy. For one, they are enormous, and secondly, they are packed with fat. This nutrient-rich liver serves as an energy bomb, likely appealing to orcas who require high-calorie intake to sustain their fast metabolism.
