WHEN SHARKS ATTACK

· Of the 100-plus annual shark attacks worldwide, fully one-third to one-half are attributable to great whites.

· They are the largest predatory fish on earth. They can grow to an average of 15 feet in length, through specimens exceeding 20 feet and weighing up to 5,000 pounds have been recorded.

· They have slate-gray upper bodies to blend in with the rocky coastal sea floor, but get their name from their universally white underbellies. 

· They are streamlined, torpedo-shaped swimmers with powerful tails that can propel them through the water at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour.

· Their mouths are lined with up to 300 serrated triangular teeth arranged in several rows, and they have an exceptional sense of smell to detect prey.

· When great whites attack humans, they are “sample biting.” They usually will not go in for a full kill, because humans are not on their menu.