The Insane Biology of: The Great White Shark

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Images Courtesy of Getty Images
Credits:
Writer/Narrator: Stephanie Sammann
Writer: Lorraine Boissoneault
Editor: Dylan Hennessy (www.behance.net/dylanhennessy1)
Illustrator: Jacek Ambrożewski
Illustrator/Animator: Kirtan Patel (kpatart.com/illustrations)
Animator: Mike Ridolfi (www.moboxgraphics.com/)
Sound: Graham Haerther (haerther.net)
Thumbnail: Simon Buckmaster ( / forgottentowel )
Producer: Brian McManus ( / realengineering )
References:
[1] onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/a...
[2] www.researchgate.net/publicat...
[3] journals.plos.org/plosone/art...
[4] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
[5] link.springer.com/article/10....
[6] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
[7]www.cambridge.org/core/journa...
[8] static.scientificamerican.com...
[9] onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f...
[10] www.jstor.org/stable/29775147
[11] faculty.lsu.edu/maruskalab/fi...
[12] link.springer.com/article/10....
[13] www.vice.com/en/article/jpgqy...
[14]www.researchgate.net/profile/...
[15] elasmollet.org/Publications/Ez...
[16] www.researchgate.net/profile/...

[@TheUntypicalGerman]

Sharks and I have an unspoken agreement. I don't swim in the ocean and they don't show up in my backyard. Has been working so far.

[@th1nk_outside]

You miss a lot when you dont go snorkeling, diving etc. And if its because of sharks thats just unneccesary, we are not their food at all

[@buckeyestateofmind]

@@th1nk_outsideRight. Tell that to the families of the hundreds of US sailors who were eaten by sharks after the sinking of the USS Indianapolis

[@th1nk_outside]

@@buckeyestateofmind ok, maybe the "not at all" was a little to much said. of course there are cases when people were eaten by sharks, but extremely rare. its not like they prey on us. they mostly eat dead things but can get into a feeding frenzy like many predators though, but only if there is a lot of scent in the water to begin with. and normally sharks dont react to human blood at all... they are intelligent and consider their level of hunger, danger for themselves etc. and are quite curious, wich can result in test bites, but not hunting behaviour, normally. 99,9 % of all encounters with sharks are not deadly or even cause injury, displaying them as monsters is just wrong - but of course you have to consider a shark a potentially dangerous animal, like many other predators. there were also cases when humans were killed by all kinds of animals, and still thats no reason to not be in contact with them or enter their habitat. never swimming in the entire ocean because of the existence of sharks is really unneccesary, chances are low you ever see one and much lower it will be agressive and even much lower you get hurt. but being in the water with them together with a lot of dead meat, heavily bleeding and close to them while they are feeding, that combination is a dangerous thing to do i give you that.

[@boltskyline2957]

​@@th1nk_outside yet everyone masked up and got the jab for a virus with a 99.9999997% survival rate

[@chonchjohnch]

@@th1nk_outsideI don’t understand why people have this attitude toward sharks. They are apex predators, the water is their natural environment. To not respect the potential danger is absolutely foolish. It is a bizarre trend. I respect and admire sharks, and in doing so I recognize them for what they are and don’t judge them. The only reason I can figure for why people post stuff like this is that they want to defend sharks, but they still harbor anthrocentric views on violence, so to reconcile that, they ignore the danger and predation of the animal.

[@arianathough2070]

I low-key love that these sharks have made it impossible to be held in captivity by humans. It's as if their very biology is in revolt against being controlled in this way. I know there are nuances to the discussion of zoos and the ethics of that, but from a very visceral, emotional place I personally love to see an animal that cannot be contained by us.

[@scottlinton6577]

It’s a shame they don’t all have the same reaction… then all animals would be free

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

@scottlinton6577 free to be driven to extinction by humanity.

[@GodsGanja]

Ditto

[@kimpeater1]

Unfortunately animals who aren't really domesticated are on the expressway to extinction.

[@ActualRacerX]

I think, personally, that it further enhances the mystique of how incredible great white sharks are amazing creatures. I agree with you wholeheartedly!

[@Filterdissman]

You just compressed 10 years of shark week into 28 minutes. I frickin love this channel.

[@Vexin980]

10 years of shark week would tell you that Great Whites are horrifying and evil killers that slaughter for fun.

[@martijn9568]

That probably says a lot about Shark Week😅

[@GorbWasHere]

Ten years of shark week without needing to make them look like scary monsters in 28 minutes too

[@NausicaaBlade]

I mean that’s only 10 weeks of repeated observations mostly

[@Trash2000s]

You never watched shark week apparently. 10 years in 28 minutes? No. You’re wrong and possibly stupid.

[@alfandosavant4639]

"Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster" Dr. Wu

[@JO-lx9bx]

To a great white , theres no monsters

[@alfandosavant4639]

@@JO-lx9bx uhmm...except orca

[@jsonkody]

@@JO-lx9bx orcas will hunt him down ..

[@mitchellhedges711]

Fear is the maker of monsters

[@dreammaker9642]

@@alfandosavant4639Anyone who knows anything about orca know they are monsters to anything 😂 Geneva convention definitely wouldn’t approve of their methods

[@Chubutensis]

Is it possible that rather than being almost ritualistic, the sharks are just checking the buoyancy of the prey by letting it float? Maybe it’s waiting to see how quickly it rises to decide if the prey has enough fat to be worth the time and effort?

[@stefdiazdiaz7067]

Nice hypothesis

[@2424Lars]

Exactly what I was thinking!

[@Crowley1102]

I’d agree it’s definitely not ritualistic. That implies that the shark has some level of malice while it’s hunting.

[@mutsyti]

​@@Crowley1102 She didn't say it was ritualistic. She said it only appears to be ritualistic. The purpose is to avoid injuries.

[@mitchellhedges711]

⁠​⁠@@Crowley1102why would ritualistic behavior & feeding habits denote malice? Thats a human concept & perception which has nothing to do with the predator & prey dynamic of the natural world. That being said, there are several cultures & sea fairing tribes who hold certain sharks in a supernatural light & view the man-eaters as evil/dark witch doctors & shamans.

[@brody3166]

I'm not particularly scared of sharks, not because I think they're completely harmless or I'm invincible but because I feel like if you're worried it's very easy to avoid ever encountering one or getting hurt by one. Things like spiders, scorpions, bees and wasps seem much worse because they can get inside your house and sting or bite you, and it's hard to never encounter them in many areas of the U.S at least.

[@GerardMenvussa]

Agreed, I am 30 yo and I have yet to be attacked by a shark. It may or may not have something to do with the fact I live more than 400 km from the ocean, but idk, I'm not a sharkologist.

[@Scarshadow666]

Definitely agree! Plus knowing that humans aren't something that sharks want to eat is helpful too. It also helps to see drone footage of people chilling on top of their surfboards upright while sharks swim by on KZbin (as well as watching any kind of drone footage of sharks just chilling in the open ocean). ^^

[@arghpee]

im not scared of sharks, i think they are super cool, ancient killing machines

[@jsonkody]

Well you probably are not wrong with 98% of sharks with a big exception of great white :/

[@charliekezza]

Aussie here i love swimming in the ocean and I've never been bit

[@196cupcake]

13:57 One thing to add about their hunting strategy is how their "fast, devastating bite, then wait" strategy is energy efficient regardless of the prey creature. The idea is to run in, use their powerful jaws to create a significant wound, then wait - at a safe distance - for the prey to die. Damage can be lethal to predators, so they are very risk adverse. The GW sharks excellent sense of smell and efficient swimming makes it so they'll be able to catch up with lunch after it bleads out. Given that context, yes, after the initial attack, if they're like "nah, never mind" for whatever reason, they won't come back to finish off the job.

[@webtoedman]

Very similar to the behaviour of cats when "playing " with captured prey. They are making sure that the animal is dead and presents no threat of injury.

[@thomasvillani5616]

This is exactly what i was thinking! Fascinating.

[@jalesbarjo4740]

Comodo dragons have a similar strategy.

[@YouTube_user3333]

Shark hysteria is more monstrous than the shark. I’ve encountered them while diving many times and they always bolt.

[@petiertje]

Just don't pretend to be a seal and you'll be fine ;)

[@JohnnyBoyActual]

I’ve seen a a couple of white tip reef sharks on numerous occasions in a swim through, however they’re extremely calm, and don’t mind us divers one bit!

[@mitchellhedges711]

While the first sentence is most certainly true. This is a video on Great White sharks, and while I’m sure you’ve encountered all manner of reef shark etc. I doubt you have spent much time alone in the water with GWs and Tigers. They aren’t afraid of you at all, they don’t bolt. You do.

[@clamcrewcarclub6017]

Yeah until they don’t

[@justadummy8076]

Shark “hysteria” is mostly reasonable, if you encounter a shark it is safer than not to simply get out of there & it’s not at all unreasonable to be afraid of them

[@bl4nkdemn863]

17:00 Sharks deciding while playing tail, splash, food is like humans playing rock , paper, scissors

[@scaleworksRC]

I watched Jaws over and over again as a kid. It scared me so bad that I was afraid to go in the bathtub or even use the toilet. I became obsessed with sharks which fueled my artistic skill because I would draw one on every paper we were handed at school. They slowly got better looking and more detailed, but my potential career as an artist was crushed by constantly being told "you can't pay bills with artwork, you need to go to college". I wanted to be a marine biologist after that, until cars and girls came along. C'est la vie 🤷‍♂

[@idorus]

lol me too one time i started doing the jaws theme song in my apartment pool and i freaked myself out because i saw a shadow. i also would borrow all the shark books from the library. its complicated lol

[@No.Good.Nickname]

There was a guy who paid his bills with small pictogramms he drew, but he was a little more famius than you my guy.😢

[@scaleworksRC]

@@No.Good.Nickname Not really was ever after fame ,but we all have our choices and influences I guess

[@vice.nor.virtue]

I'm a successful photographer and I can't help but feel heartbroken when I hear about artistic talent being dismissed at a young age "because you can't pay bills with pretty pictures",. Sod that! Armed with a graphics tablet you could have become an amazing illustrative or graphic designer. @@scaleworksRC

[@Davethreshold]

You have very good taste! Jaws was a MASTERPIECE of horror. That opening scene of the Lady getting pulled under the water was so insanely creepy and WAY ahead of it's time!

[@THE-X-Force]

_"Don't bleed in the water"_ .. is still generally good advice. Really, you could have just stopped at _"Don't bleed"_ .. because, I don't know about you, but as a rule of thumb for me, I try to keep as much blood on the inside of my body as possible at all times, even on land. Well .. *_my_* blood anyway.

[@Nylak-Otter]

It's a bit harder for over half the population for 25% of the time. I backpack amongst large numbers of grizzly bears, and 25% of the time I'm out there, I'm advertising the smell of fresh blood everywhere I go. Their motivations are very different from those of sharks, but it's still a complication I need to consider. Odor-eliminating packs are a must, and the guys I occasionally backpack with don't get why I always push those packs on other women, especially the ones that can easily be hung in trees away from your campsite.

[@highvoltage1842]

Smart decision honestly

[@AKbaby89]

Most women can't help it if they're bleeding, they can't exactly stop it😂

[@THE-X-Force]

@@AKbaby89 It was honestly just meant as a joke. Apologies ladies. ☮

[@fobinc]

That's why the best bleeding is internal bleeding because it's still inside your body. Disclaimer: This is a joke, please don't get internal bleeding if you can help it.

[@Brownyman]

Sharks: Kills 10 people per year People: Kills 100,000,000 sharks per year

[@duncanself5111]

I get a touch of that primal fear whenever I swim in the sea, not knowing what's lurking underneath me

[@cannabannabal6762]

Im always swimming below you, so you have nothing to worry about.

[@Sylvaniaq]

​@@cannabannabal6762💀

[@godsson1039]

Yes indeed fear is our friend....if you're walking through a minefield it can guide our footsteps and keep us alive

[@CrimsonA1]

Stepping into an alien environment you have little to no adaptation for? It'd be foolish NOT to be nervous. 🦈

[@Cherries-sv9hk]

Great video. I love sharks. They are underrated and always seen as some kind of evil monsters. Pop culture has done some damage on their reputation and now learning about them and how complex they are is restoring some of it.

[@TrinityCore60]

The sad thing is that Jaws’ creator never even intended that damage. Poor guy.

[@DarkShines86]

At the same time, they aren’t “misunderstood”…they are ancient apex predators and exist to feed and mate and don’t care about you in the slightest.

[@idorus]

@@DarkShines86 yeah but alot of people think that shark attacks are common and that they will hunt humans. they aren't really when you look at the numbers. last year there were 57 unprovoked attacks and 5 died from the attacks. it is that misconception that makes people not care about sharks being killed

[@juniperrodley9843]

@@DarkShines86 No, they're *very* misunderstood. What you did here was explain a correct but oversimplified version of a shark's life, and then assume everyone sees it in that simple, correct way, but that's not the case. This oversimplification is actually better than your average person's understanding. Tons of people think sharks *do* care about us, in a negative way; they think sharks will go out of their way to hunt down and kill humans, when really, the fish don't care about us.

[@rockyevans1584]

​@juniperrodley9843 they do care about us if they're starving. They also occasionally will attack in a territorial display. Of course wild animals don't care about us, but that doesn't mean they won't eat us if it's necessary for them

[@brucelee5576]

Every Shark has a plan until it get punch in the mouth .

[@Me-xj6wx]

Spinal

[@Nukappi]

@@Me-xj6wxthpinal

[@ActualRacerX]

No disrespect to any educators out there. Your efforts are not unnoticed or unappreciated: But every single one of these Real Science videos completely has me highly focused, sharply attentive and definitely interested. Even if it’s only via audio. The Orca video was very well put together. But I would also like to say, this one was perfect from the excellent music timing, amazing editing, incredible visuals & diagrams, and of course, always the narrator’s cadence and delivery. This is truly uploaded Perfection. Let’s not forget the smooth delivery of Brilliant’s tie in to bring us to a close. Bravo!

[@hsvr]

where was the disrespect?

[@ActualRacerX]

@@hsvr I have heard before that when I was complimenting an upload/video on how well I found it so informative, taught me something, or how educational it was, that I was leaving out teachers/educators who put so much of their selves in with no real recognition. So I didn’t want anyone to take this as such.

[@svenlima]

The shark's main problem is that they don't meet human's ideals of cuteness. If sharks had that artificial smile that dolphins have, they would be adored more by us.

[@dreammaker9642]

Yeah… not enough people know dolphins are little hitlers… the bigger the eviler

[@lexinicole4317]

@@dreammaker9642”the bigger the eviler”? Bottlenose dolphins have the most prolific history of assaulting and attacking humans, whereas orca, the largest of all dolphins, have no recorded attacks on people in the wild ever.

[@dreammaker9642]

@@lexinicole4317 who said I was talking about people ? The world doesn’t revolve around us buddy… Actually there has been a few attacks in captivity just never a recorded one in the wild and trust me nobody wants to be that first person cause they in for a bad time but perhaps orcas are smart enough to know there’s only one thing worse than them and that’s us… Anyway you should read up on what orcas do to other marine life just because they are bored (it’s quite graphic and KZbin won’t like it if I share it here) then account for the fact they are definitely smart enough to know what they are doing is shitttty…

[@Respondifyourbadattrolling]

@@dreammaker9642ah yes the whale, the most evil creature

[@dreammaker9642]

@@Respondifyourbadattrolling no the orca, it’s more accurately a giant homicidal Oreo dolphin 🐬

[@HelloMyNameIsZON3]

Sharks are some of the most important animals in the entire ocean ecosystem

[@DiveHard]

When we dive with great white sharks (no cage), it can be a bit nerve racking. But I honestly am much more scared when I’m bobbing around at the surface without mask and fins. The concept is much scarier than the reality. Incredible animals. Thanks for making these awesome videos about the biology and science 🙏🏽 💙

[@vice.nor.virtue]

Even still, you couldn't pay me enough money at all the get in the water with these terrifying creatures. All the footage of these beasts leaping out of the water while they chomp a sealion in half is so viscerally horrifying, I can't help but thank god I'm a human sat at my PC rather than a surfer or a seal in the sea within 100 miles of such an animal.

[@dreammaker9642]

@@vice.nor.virtueif you’ve every swam, surfed or bodyboarded or did anything in waters they inhabit they you most definitely have and don’t know about it… good, apparently we aren’t that interesting to them.

[@Bitchslapper316]

@@dreammaker9642 Sharks are also nocturnal and do most of their hunting and eating at night. The ones seen in the day are derping around not really looking for food. If your swimming alone at night and come across a pack of tiger sharks you're done for. You see a lot of shark activists claiming sharks don't eat people then show themselves swimming with them. Try to find a single video of them trying that at night.

[@dreammaker9642]

@@Bitchslapper316 first off not all sharks are nocturnal and second Tiger sharks don’t hunt in pack… Some shark species are only nocturnal but for the few species are sharks that are dangerous to us most of them it really depends. For the most part they are most active during sunset and sunrise, but off the coast of Cali big GWs are hunting seals in brought daylight so already if you take it as an actual rule that all sharks hunt at night you set yourself up for failure. As for your last point. Every shark species is different and every shark amongst that species is also different. Like with any predator there are times and places to interact with them and some not to… There are night dive sharks they just more rare because just diving at night is a skill of itself. Second scientist film animals in their wild habitat to observe them or tag them which if not done in the right situation will reward you with a Darwin Award. Try be too close or go tag a GW or tiger shark feeding on a whale carcass and likely that shark will consider you a threat to its meal and fold you like a chair… that same applies to any predators why would shark be any different. Also if you only watch the discovery channel and shark week then consider this to be what shark research is then sorry to tell you these are more entertainers than actual scientists in the most part. Even the worse of those would never tell you to do what they do without being trained and being accustomed to the animals you interacting with… if you don’t want a Darwin Award that is.

[@AKbaby89]

​@@vice.nor.virtuecoconuts kill 10x as many people as sharks do annually. Sharks are not man eating monsters

[@MermaidMusings7]

'Of all the great predators on the planet, white sharks are the only ones that cannot be caged or tamed.' - David Attenborough

[@konvictionXX]

what’s even more fascinating is they been practically the same since the late ordovician period.

[@TERRABLADE-uy7bh]

These videos are always so good with peak editing! Keep up the great work!

[@jubsvj]

I live near the beach with most attacks by sharks in South America, but it’s mainly bull sharks and tiger sharks. Can you maybe do a video on them?!

[@jontaedouglas7244]

I’m sure there’s a lot of rivers and canals connected nearby. I live in Miami and we have a similar issue. Been seeing more great whites lately also

[@dreammaker9642]

A bull shark video is short and sweet… murky water + Bull shark = you going to get bite

[@Bitchslapper316]

@@jontaedouglas7244 Great whites have a problem atm. Numerous groups of Orc's started making them a primary food source so they have been migrating all over the place.

[@99alfailiwaqain51]

@@Bitchslapper316Peace! Good for the Orcas; and us humans..

[@AKbaby89]

​@@99alfailiwaqain51sharks are not really dangerous to humans. Dogs kill WAY more people, even Coconuts kill over 10x as many humans as sharks do annually worldwide. The vast majority of shark bites are one bite investigatory accidents. They do not see humans as prey unless we act like it and they misidentified us. Sharks are necessary for a healthy environment, they eat the sick and wounded, they clean up the ocean. They're apex predators, but they are NOT man eating monsters.

[@purple_badassery8240]

Humans have excellent and complex vision, yet we mistake one thing for another all the time

[@captaintoyota3171]

Except we have hands to examine things, sharks have very sensitive teeth so they bite things to examine. Think about it. No human could get so close to bite something n not see what it was. So they see a human its something they likely do not see often in most sharks. So they go in sometimes bite to see hey maybe this is rare superfood. Nope. Then lets go. Maybe cause it doesnt like you or expecting you to bleed out to see closer what u are

[@slummypond]

Amazing video as always! I love aquatic episodes. I was surprised at how rubbery great whites were and enjoyed learning about how their musculature affects their swimming cycle. Would love to see a video on the black marlin/ the sailfish in general! Keep up the good work :D

[@60ncid]

YOOO THIS VID DROPPED JUST IN TIME FOR MY FAMILY GATHERING!!! time to watch this with my nieces and nephews! thanks for providing high quality educational content for free! i just wish you guys got a bankroll to backup these projects!

[@knowjusticeknowpeace15]

Awww that’s awesome!!! Good uncle❤️🦈❤️ Have fun.

[@sarkulo5142]

I'm already one of those that have an irrational fear of sharks, and seeing the shark at 11:50 with it's reflective eyes definitly didn't help

[@gabrielsstopmotion1959]

Sharks Do Not Mean TO Eat US Bud They Think We Are Food your more likley to die by a bee than a shark but thats your fear and thats ok

[@bullast2046]

OH MY F***!! Just got to that part It gave me heart palpitations

[@kylepoggenpoel370]

Can we talk about the scars these sharks exhibit!?!? If they're not fighting each other, then what does that to them? I can't imagine Orcas would allow one to escape.

[@juniperrodley9843]

Yeah, they can escape. Orcas are strong predators, so are sharks. Even orcas don't have 100% hunting success rates.

[@artawhirler]

The scars are the result of one of their favorite activities - something called "Bite Club". I understand they're not allowed to talk about it.

[@corvuscorax7451]

A lot of shark mating involves the male biting the female. I'd guess that many, if not most, of those scars are on females that have previously mated. Probably various scars from prey fighting back or encounters with other predators as well.

[@juniperrodley9843]

@@corvuscorax7451 Do you know if the bite is very forceful?

[@corvuscorax7451]

@@juniperrodley9843 Not sure. I'd guess it is less severe than a predation type bite, but given how strong their jaws are and that it leaves scars, certainly forceful enough!

[@kaithefilmgeek]

It’s not a monster FFS…

[@Sharktoz]

Sharks. Aren't. Monsters. How many times do we have to repeat this...

[@aguywhodoesstuff1116]

idk at this point :(

[@ericanight8359]

They really aren’t and it’s bullshit that people still treat them like they are. Largely due to morons making movies…or videos like this where there is a clear bias

[@JoeyP946]

For over 20 years I've been fascinated by the great white shark. It's both terrifying and beautiful, truly an amazing creature.

[@alexisle7053]

I don’t know why people are not freaking appreciative how majestic this species is. It’s in endangerment and instinct because of some idiots who only care about eating their fins

[@thefirstcurse3123]

You have the extreme opposite definition of majestic compared to 99.9% of Humans. Sharks aren't majestic at all. They're insanely violent looking and intimidating.

[@joshuamiller8533]

If you want to understand more about great white behavior, watch The Malibu Artist. He studies them from above with drones in populated areas and reports his findings to all of the universities in the area.

[@lsuzicosbw644]

Just what I was looking for!!! Thank you!

[@frlo7688]

This documentary is really well-made fr, I love the diagrams and pictures, it gives you a much better understanding of the biology of TheGreatWhiteSharks Not to mention that the videos shown are well-filmed too, there is a lot of great shots . I learned a lot, thank you

[@MrAzazel666]

Thanks to this video, I now know that if I ever get attacked by a shark, I'll just boop the snoot.

[@AKbaby89]

The Best way to avoid an attack is to make eye contact and look towards in and not act like prey and swim away

[@thefirstcurse3123]

That's one dangerous boop, but it may save your life.

[@thefirstcurse3123]

​@@AKbaby89Actually the best way is to make gang signs with your hands. If the Shark is in a gang it'll gain respect for you and leave you alone.

[@davelockhart5250]

I love the way these videos are narrated. very informative and easy to understand if you're not studying biology or a scientific person in general. these are awesome videos that should be shared; as much as possible

[@jontaedouglas7244]

They’ve evolved alongside dinosaurs and everything that came after them. Them Along with gators, crocs, and birds are so interesting because they’re such aliens to their ecosystems

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

Nothing evolved. Evolution doesn't exist, it's pseudo science. Mindless matter and mutation can't manifest code.

[@Bengals6211]

Sharks are older than dinosaurs. They're even older than trees. They predate most things in the fossil record, in general.

[@aguywhodoesstuff1116]

@@Bengals6211to be fair they are always evolving so despite being twice as old as dinosaurs they did in fact evolve alongside them

[@jontaedouglas7244]

@@Bengals6211 which is crazy considering they don’t even leave one 🙃

[@healthycomments]

Honestly just the voiceover while I’m looking at the sharks dark beady eyes made my heart race and wanna lock my car doors🤣

[@artawhirler]

Congratulations to Stephanie and the team for another amazing video!!

[@scottlinton6577]

Impressive video, I love sharks and was excited to see what I’d learn from your deep dive. Very pleased and feel like I’ve learned a lot of new stuff I didn’t know on this!

[@WhenAnimalsAttack]

So horrifying, yet majestic these creatures are. Great content !

[@Infernoraptor]

Here's an interesting thought: the sharks are presumably learning to avoid attacking us low-fat humans after attacking once. In other words, its the same mechanism behind poison defenses. Well, I wonder if there's a way to teach the sharks in an area? Some way to make dummies that look and smell like people but dont taste good. Im not sure if the logistics would be feasible, but sacrificing a few meat puppets might help make people less afraid. (This research could take place somewhere like the Faralon islands. It could also hint to scienists if the sharks are capable of observational learning; if the sharks notice that their buddy attavked that thing but didnt eat it, naybe theyll take the hint? Worth a study in my book.)

[@dreammaker9642]

It could be except it would be very hard if possible at all to reliably demonstrate a shark will not attack a person after having done so once… Most likely the answer to your question is it doesn’t quite work how you think. Although, it would make sense they show less interest but some bites aren’t predatory or exploratory… some incidents might be territorial behaviour. Similarly tiger sharks for example have been known to strike at divers, kayaks or even boats that were too close to a carcasse in was defending… you might be doing your own thing not knowing theirs a seal carcasse near by this shark is waiting to eat and for whatever reason it thinks you’re a threat to its meal and makes it your problem… as we understand better how they communicate we for example know now that if a shark displays either a threat posture with the pectoral fins pointing inside and their back arched a bit like a cat or if you see it yawn then what it essentially means is whatever you are doing you better stop and get on your way… or else find out

[@BudoReflex]

Very good idea. We lost a young surfer in the south west of Australia a few days back. Exactly as this video explains. One of the ongoing problems is that commercial fishing has depleted stocks of fish and thus seals. The GW shark is protected as endangered, so now we have a very large population of GWs hunting the Western Australian coast.

[@dreammaker9642]

@@BudoReflex they’ve emptied the high seas so obviously more sharks come near the coast looking for food meaning more sharks interact with humans. In a good and in a bad way for both species. Now those not gifted with a working brain might jump and say “ahhh look there’s too many sharks we must kill them” which would be primal emotional stupidity but in reality if you think for one second you’d realize that one it statistically never made a difference and two you made a problem worse cause there isn’t more sharks overall they just all in the same locations now cause you killed everything else. That my friends is why it is important to use our brain despite our emotions.

[@1940-Westinghouse-Flip-Toaster]

@@dreammaker9642you are an actual r 3 t 4 r d it’s hilarious

[@1940-Westinghouse-Flip-Toaster]

@@dreammaker9642how can you write this much this confidently and be so wrong and goofy

[@knowjusticeknowpeace15]

Omg!!! Thank you soooo much. This channel is so important and soooo amazing. I literally just had to pause the Shark Documentary I'm watching right now to watch this. No joke. Thanks again "Real Science"

[@its_me_jp_]

The editting on this video is captivating. Love the music and clip choices.

[@johnandrheyabordo644]

I have two hypotheses. The shark lets go of its prey to: 1. Test its buoyancy. Buoyant prey could mean that they have high fat density (which is, as the video mentioned, needed by the shark). However, a prey seen afloat after a shark's attack doesn't necessarily equate to it floating due to buoyancy. It's, apparently, likelier that the prey swims up to breathe or to, simply, escape. 2. Protect its teeth. Since its teeth could easily fall off, a less resistant prey will cause less damage to its teeth. Naturally, I approve of the hypotheses mentioned in the video. Edit: As I continued the video, it was mentioned that the prey is left floating for a while after it dies. Perhaps, sharks really do test the buoyancy of non-aquatic species.

[@danielnaberhaus5337]

Do the humbolt squid next, even scarier than sharks.

[@sebastianstyles9750]

I went to the aquarium at Sea World in Gold Coast, Queensland less than a year ago and hundreds of people witnessed their sharks eating and biting other sharks, ripping off their fins. It didn’t seem like the aquarium workers cared at all and there were other dead marine animals in the tank. Kids were watching sharks rip other sharks apart. They weren’t great whites but they were still very large sharks.

[@hamilcross]

oh jesus I think i'd be sick if I saw that

[@sebastianstyles9750]

@@hamilcross yeah there were about four of five of us making comments about how sick we feel watching it, two sharks had dragged one shark to a rocky area of the aquarium, multiple people followed filming the incident. The sharks ripped into the other shark, tearing off its fin and then biting its gills. Little kids were amongst the people watching too.

[@1940-Westinghouse-Flip-Toaster]

@@sebastianstyles9750then stop watching what are the aquarium workers gonna do get in there and stop it ? 😂sharks go into frenzies very easily

[@ejakez]

Best sponsor transitions in the YTverse. 1 of my fav channels

[@mic7reaper]

Sharks have been my favorite animals as early as i can remember. I can remember myself drawing them, very crudely but again i was quite young. What began as just me finding them "bad ass" quickly developped into admiration of how important they are to the food chain, and their long history on earth which pre-dates Trees. From the amazing speeds of a short fined Mako, the power of the great white to the beauty of the Whale shark, they are all fascinating creatures.

[@KINGDARKMALO]

Sharks are my favorite animals and this was a great video to show them off in all of their glory

[@scienceexplained38]

Your video on great white sharks was totally awesome-those creatures are mind-blowing!

[@vice.nor.virtue]

When you showed a tiny clip of a Great White last week on the Manta Ray episode, I was literally praying that you would make an episode on them in the near future. The was truly brilliant and also somewhat terrifying. They are literally a monster that swam out of someone's worst nightmares into existence.

[@fiberpoet6250]

I’ve been an animal biology nerd for all my life and I’m mid 40’s It’s rare I come across new info I didn’t know about popular species. But wooowww I learnt so much Thank you.. I loved every second of it I’m saving the video To watch over and over Great job💗💗

[@jakebak3008]

I mustn't be human then, since the thought of a Great White Shark fills me with awe and admiration. Also, for a Great White Shark to be able to sense a drop of blood from a mile away, that means it is able to smell a drop of blood in a cubic mile of water, which is 254.4Trillion cubic inches of water, which is approximately 636Trillion cubic centimetres of water. If one drop of water has a volume of 0.05mL, and 1mL is equivalent to 1 cubic centimetre, then that means that a Great White Shark is capable of sensing ONE drop of blood in approximately 12.72 QUADRILLION drops of water. So, in other words, I HIGHLY doubt that it is able to pull off such a feat. Nor would it be possible to put the theory to the test.

[@WolfHeathen]

I used to be obsessed with everything and anything underwater. Ancient sunken ruins, ship wrecks, coral reefs and even sharks. I would read books about sharks and shipwrecks, the Titanic, ancient roman cities sunk beneath the waves and Atlantis. It fascinated me and I couldn't get enough. I was on the school swim team in grades 4-6 and loved spending time in the water. However, after I watched Jaws as a kid, all of that went away. It created a sense of uneasiness and even fear. I haven't had a swim in the ocean since the 90's even though I only live about an hour away. The absolute terror I feel when I think of the deep dark ocean is indescribable.

[@MonikaWPerez]

I’d like to request a video about the piranha! They’re so interesting and I would love to get more insight into them. Thanks for the great videos!

[@TheSkystrider]

Hi Stephanie, I started watching your episode on Pottery on Nebula but I can't stand the voice of whoever is narrating it... I watch your channel for *your* voice. I absolutely love your voice and your explanations of how amazing nature is. I don't want to hear it in anyone else's voice, just yours. I hope this feedback helps you with future videos. You're amazing Stephanie!

[@thegunslinger1363]

Could you do this sort of video on the Amur Tiger? I remember hearing that the writer of Jaws. Took part in shark conservation after the release of the movie.

[@tyreewadsworth1593]

I agree with what you said about human attacks. I think the reason it usually ends in a horrific accident is due to the fact that their bite force is insane. Plus, they pretty much only bite into something fatty and large.

[@dreammaker9642]

Also the fact humans are idiots and tend to be way too comfortable when doing anything in an environment that is not their’s and that they aren’t adapted for… I mean I’ve seen a dude put his hand in a sharks mouth to unhook it… worse part is he was surprised when the shark bite down and didn’t let go for anything… to this day I wonder what he thought was going to happen… that dude persuaded me we might need some natural selection.

[@joyofcookies]

As a fat lady, this video made me think I’m MORE likely to get eaten by a shark 😂 (Though I’d guess people fat isn’t as nutritious as blubber)

[@Latif28]

Thank you for these videos :) they’re great and a joy to watch

[@Sunflowersarepretty]

The way they hunt feels psychopathic. Amazing creatures. Im relieved that they don't hunt people. I stil wouldn't swim in a shark infested water. I love this channel and how much i learn from it.

[@VVabsa]

That's the thing, it's not. They'll lose alot of energy if their prey keep struggling when eating. It's more of a 0% risk method than anything else.

[@crackedemerald4930]

Calling their home "shark infested waters" is crazy. Imagine calling an anthill an "ant infested hole"

[@forthehomies7043]

I'm an empathetic person just like you, but sometimes you can be too sensitive. This is one of those times. @@crackedemerald4930

[@migueljardim8177]

Human infested buildings lol

[@samuelburton302]

​@@crackedemerald4930well you're using the word "infested" in the most negative context (which is your bias).

[@andrew24601]

Top tier content as always

[@grrlpurpleable]

Your segues into the sponsor are always smooth but this one was the smoothest! Awesome video, goes without saying, but your segues are under-appreciated I think!

[@Rationalific]

This is a fantastic documentary! Thanks for it!

[@mintcake2668]

Sealions are indeed extremely stinky.

[@abraxasjinx5207]

"Nothing strikes fear in the heart of humans like the thought of a great white shark." Not true at all. I'm much more terrified of dying alone with regrets than I am of a great white attack, and I think that's true of most humans.

[@Leanzazzy]

If a shark granted me wealth, loving family & friends and a long life, I'd gladly let it chomp me 😊

[@mitchellhedges711]

Obviously the primal fear of predator & prey goes much much deeper than the very modern cultural/societal fear of being alone & not living life. Fear doesn’t keep us from dying….it keeps us from Living.

[@CarlCoppinger]

Yup. Sharks are cute 🦈

[@imcarolean]

No you're not.

[@MrKurtank]

Another great mini-doc on from you and you team that avoids referencing the habitual pop culture commonalities that other channels rely upon.

[@jawsbert]

This is such a great video. There's so much information here I've never heard in any nature show, and doesn't sensationalize attacks. Thank you!

[@asiyawhaa1169]

Sounds like they don’t want bloody food 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@phelan8385]

I was thinking they don't want the scent of the blood on them

[@stephenmartinez1]

It’s not a mystery why sharks can’t live in captivity. They require open ocean because of the way they breathe. They must forever swim forward to pass water over their gills, which can’t be done in captive tanks.

[@ceonton72co-co43]

7:48 dude has some kahunas Great video by the way, its very well written and paced

[@ray4237]

Love this stuff!!! please do a video on the bobit worm

[@benmcreynolds8581]

I can't help but imagine what things would be like if octopus could adapt to live longer than a year.. And what if at least one of them would be able to pass on knowledge & information to the new born generations? They could evolve even further into intelligent adaptive amazing creatures 🐙 Killer whales, Orca's & Manta rays have a huge potential for adaptation. Continuing to evolve their intelligence and abilities. All of these marine creatures are already such complex, curious, capable creatures. I can only imagine what it would be like if they evolved even further into these amazing traits that they have...

[@binarycode9893]

They do. They live 1-5 years. Depends on species and health obviously. Amazing creatures.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

@@binarycode9893 yeah giant pacific octopus have longer lifespans but I'm still curious about how much they could improve if they could pass on knowledge to their young and if they lived even longer.. since they already are so smart and adaptive

[@kade-qt1zu]

If they did evolve longer lives and more complex social behaviors, God help us all because we're screwed.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

@@kade-qt1zu sure would make for a great sci fi movie concept

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

Nothing evolved. Evolution doesn't exist, it's pseudo science. Mindless matter and mutation can't manifest code.

[@philbarrett3739]

Surely feeding them fish in captivity when research shows they need blubber has to play some part in the reasons they don't live long?

[@dustman96]

Or it could simply be depression.

[@hoodedone8547]

Imagine being able to smell or sense movement around you for miles, then having that taken away. It's like losing a leg.

[@Kaffeekommando]

Amazing. I now love these fascinating torpedo fishies. Terrifying but fascinating!

[@QuickStrikes84]

Wow, everything about them just seem sooo delicate! Many other sharks do so much better in captivity and have similar lifestyles.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

Random question: Would you ever consider making a video on Leopard Seals? I've always found them special. Also i know they only are around the antarctic. Patagonia is the furthest north ones been found. Hypothetical question: Do you think if leopard seals happened to get into the Arctic habitat, would they possibly be able to find away to adapt and survive? I could totally see them learning how to adapt to different food sources as long as they are in similar enough conditions to their natural habitat. In cold northern Pacific waters there is plenty of food sources. Seals, sea lions, crabs, mussel's, slow fish in really cold waters, sea birds. I wonder if they could even pray on small narwhal during the ice season. Where certain creatures get stuck around a opening in the ice..? This is just a curious thought. It's interesting to me that a marine predator so capable as a leopard seal has stayed only around the antarctic.. i know they have plenty of prey available to not motivate them to explore but with the Pacific waters being as cold as it is, and full of different food sources, it's just hard to not imagine what if leopard seals also existed in the Arctic region as well?? Idk? Just a thought? (BTW when i was in 1st grade i remember looking at this Nat Geo from the 90's that had the Creepiest picture of a leopard seal under the ice in the water in a area that was pitch black and all you can see is it's eye's and a bit of its mouth & nose but barely and i thought it was the scariest thing i have ever seen) idk if anyone else has seen that picture?

[@jschouten1985]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e56cf3igqLOBb8ksi=xFEN_IClvCHn--qv

[@Dell-ol6hb]

Leopard seals are really incredible animals, I agree a video on them would be great

[@dicksatan6444]

Your comment reads like a paradigm for a Leopard Seal doc.

[@wasptongue]

there is a video on them from this channel!

[@benmcreynolds8581]

@@wasptongue oh my bad, I'm sure I've watched it too lol I'm just curious if they could make it in other places besides Antarctica?

[@vice.nor.virtue]

Amazing work as always! However, it's too bad that you didn't hear the "science VS" podcast about Great Whites; they found research that completely dismissed the idea that sharks can smell a single drop of blood from miles away. Also, they had an expert on who described seals as like, a giant fatty energy bar, whereas humans are pretty much a bag of bones and not worth the effort to try and eat, as well as having a couple more specifics on hunting and their speed. Having said that though, your description and diagrams paint a much richer picture than Science Vs did. They have all the references in the show notes as well (which can be even more than 120 for some episodes, which is nuts!) Definitely look into that podcast for the future as it's one of the top 50 podcasts in existence. They really do a lot of homework.

[@IsleOfFeldspar]

‘In our modern comfortable life we almost never have to worry about getting hunted, ripped apart and eaten’. Yes thank you for that reassurance LOL.

[@superangelus18]

beautiful video as always, thank youu

[@garvi9725]

I too am boo-boo avoidant

[@anirudhvishnuprasath9620]

Yes shark attacks are not unheard of. But shark attacks are so rare that it’s unlikely to ever get attacked (key word unlikely)

[@Shelacy]

Excellent video…I learned so much!

[@wasd____]

"In our modern, comfortable life, we almost never have to think about being hunted, ripped apart, and eaten." Haha, what do you mean, 'almost'? _Oh god what am I not realizing here what do you mean _*_'almost?!'_*

[@jasonotto9126]

Humans. The ultimate prey 😂

[@calebbrown6735]

Why make people even more afraid of sharks. They are actually relatively peaceful creatures. They just doing what they do.

[@PieceOfSchmit]

I have learned more in this one, 28 min video than 2 weeks of shark week. Very well done!

[@Alduinx37]

Jaws in one of my favorite movies of all time, the Great White Sharks is in my top 3 of favorite animals and today I've learned a lot of new things about it thanks to this video. Excellent work ❤🦈

[@PrototypeSourri]

I'm glad they can't be kept in captivity. Sharks often suffer in aquariums. They show stereotypical behavior like most captive animals and often suffer deformities (f.e. Sand tiger sharks will get scoliosis in captivity). Don't keep fish in general. It's just for your ego. Only the wild can be an adequate habitat - zoos and aquariums should take action in real conservation and protect native habitats.

[@sumantasahoo7841]

Saying Monster is rude

[@TheSpoonwood]

Love the music ..Thank you for the info.

[@adudecalledtony3731]

These are my favorite animals it feels like a special treat that we get one of these vids about them

[@adudecalledtony3731]

Additionally I get very sad hearing about the ones that died in captivity, I find it beautiful that the only way for this animal to thrive is freedom, an unlikely similarity to us

[@fancylouie]

fantastic! what a great presentation

[@NitroModelsAndComics]

Easily the most coherent explanation of White Shark biology I have ever watched. Bravo!

[@svetlanadelight8969]

What wonderful video. Thank you, very much for your work. ❤❤❤

[@cameronwarttig1732]

Loved this video! I should be studying for my biomechanics final

[@tracieday8661]

Great presentation. . I learned a lot thank you.

[@Em4gdn1m]

OK NGL, that was a really smooth transition to your ad.

[@pc_buildyb0i935]

There has to be an error here, there is no way the Orca's bite force is 84,000N. A T-Rex's bite force, the strongest on Earth, is like 60,00N and the Orca lacks any of the jaw structure/musculature to accomplish such a feat. 24,000 maybe, possibly even 30k, but not 84k

[@Serpent947]

Been waiting for this one

[@mattsoder6401]

Great video as always! However, I will say, i stepped on a bit of coral in Aruba cutting my foot a little and within minutes there were Atlantic reef sharks circling and bumping me. no matter how small the cut GET TF OUTA THE WATER.

[@Liam-cj5kh]

Please do a video about elephants. This was an amazing video. So comprehensive. One of the best integrations of a sponsor I've ever seen hahah (cheeky cheeky).