(All images via X/@whitesharkocean)
Despite their fearsome reputation, the great white shark is listed as a Vulnerable (VU) species by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), primarily due to hunting (for fins and jaws) and being caught as bycatch in commercial fishing nets.
Great whites undertake massive, trans-oceanic migrations. One recorded individual travelled from South Africa all the way to Australia—one of the longest migrations of any known fish.
Mother great whites provide no parental care. Pups, which are already about 1.2 to 1.5 metres (4–5 ft) long at birth, immediately leave the birthing grounds and must fend for themselves in protected nursery areas.
Great white shark embryos are ovoviviparous (hatch from eggs inside the mother). During development, the strongest pups practice a form of intrauterine cannibalism, feeding on unfertilized eggs and sometimes their weaker siblings to survive and grow.
When taking down their prey, great whites roll their eyes back into their head. This protects the vulnerable eyeball from the thrashing victim, as they lack the tough, ictitating membrane-- a protective eyelid found in some other shark species.
Great white sharks have been found to accumulate surprisingly high levels of heavy metals like mercury and arsenic in their blood. While this would be lethal to many other animals, the sharks appear unaffected.
Unlike most fish, great white sharks can raise their core body temperature above the surrounding water. They do this by retaining heat generated by their swimming muscles, allowing them to hunt effectively in colder waters and sustain high-speed bursts.