Carcharodon carcharias, more commonly known as the
great white shark, is the largest predatory fish in the oceans. It is typically found in coastal waters between about 54 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The great white shark inhabits the epipelagic zone, also known as the sunlit zone, which is the top “layer” of the oceans: The section of water from the surface of the sea down to approximately 200 metres. The lighting this close to the surface is sufficient to allow visual predators such as the great white to
use their eyesight as they hunt their prey. Despite the scary movies and occasional horror stories found in the news, humans are not the shark’s preferred cuisine; rather, the adult great white primarily
seeks out marine mammals to prey on and large animal carcasses to scavenge from.
