South and eastern Australia
While not the biggest shark out there (that honour belongs to the 18-tonne whale shark), great whites are undoubtedly the most dangerous. Scientists prefer to call them by the more humble “white shark”. They are found in every ocean but near Australia there are two genetically distinct populations: the Western whites range from the edge of Victoria up into WA and an eastern group move from Tasmania to Queensland. In winter, these whites move north and in summer, south. That’s similar to the annual movement of whales along the east coast, NSW government scientists say, but not a straightforward chase. They can live up to 70 years. |
---|