Great White Shark Size Explained & Compared With Others

Last Updated on May 7, 2023 by Amin Tawar

Great White Shark Length

Great White Shark Size
Great White Shark Size Explained & Compared With Others

The world’s temperate and subtropical waters are home to great white sharks, which are large predatory sharks. 

Their size, strong swimming prowess, and distinctive appearance—which features a dark upper body and a white underside—have earned them notoriety. 

Apex predators, such as great white sharks, are at the top of the food chain and lack any independent natural predators.

Additionally, if we look at the shark’s physical attributes, we can see that great white sharks have a sleek body, a large triangular dorsal fin, and strong jaws that are packed with razor-sharp teeth. 

Great white sharks are large in both size and weight, growing to a maximum length of about 6 meters (20 feet) and an average length range of about 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters).

Great white shark Length
Average Male Length11-13 feet (3.3-3.9 meters)
Average Female Length15-16 feet (4.5-4.8 m)
Maximum size20 feet (6 m) 

Great White Shark Weight

Seals, sea lions, dolphins, and fish are just a few of the many prey items that great white sharks, which are known for being excellent predators, eat. 

They are frequently observed to be extremely heavy due to their active hunting and eating habits. Other than this, the Great white sharks are large, predatory sharks that are also known for their size, power, and distinctive appearance. 

On average, the shark species has a length of 4.5 m (15 ft) and weighs between 680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds). 

However, they can be as large as 6 m (20 ft) in length and 2,270 kg (about 5,000 pounds) in weight. They are quite insanely heavy and strong species of shark, so beware of them on your sea or ocean surf!

Great white Shark Weight 
Average size3.9 metric tons (4.3 tons)
Maximum size10,000 pounds (4.5 metric tons)

Great White Shark Tooth Size

As Great white sharks are apex predators, they need to be great at their hunting and catching abilities. One of the greatest adaptations for achieving this is their giant and sharp teeth. Therefore, Great white sharks have large, sharp teeth that are adapted for hunting and tearing prey. 

Overall, the size of a great white shark’s teeth can vary, but they are generally around 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 centimeters) long. 

Additionally, these sharks have rows of teeth arranged in a saw-like pattern, with the outer rows being used for cutting and the inner rows used as replacements as needed. 

Great white sharks can have up to 300 teeth at any given time, and they can lose and replace their teeth multiple times throughout their lifetime.

Great White Shark Mouth Size

Moving on, have you ever wondered how large the mouth of such giant and great predators could be? As they are carnivores and feed on animals as large as seals, sea lions, dolphins, and fish, Great white sharks have large mouths that are adapted for hunting and tearing prey. 

The size of the mouth can vary depending on the size of the shark, but they are generally large in proportion to its body size. 

However, some studies show that the average size of their mouth is around 0.9 to 1.2 meters wide. This is quite insane, right? 

Great White Shark Baby Size

As adults, Great white sharks are massive, but as a newborn, they are quite small measuring about the size of a large size fish. But, what would be the exact size of a baby white shark?

Baby great white sharks, also known as pups, are born at a relatively small size and grow quickly as they mature. 

It is difficult to provide a specific size range for baby great white sharks, as they can vary in size depending on their age and habitat. 

However, it is known that great white shark pups are significantly smaller than adult great whites, and they may be only about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long in length at birth. 

As they grow, they become more formidable predators and develop the powerful swimming ability and sharp teeth that are characteristic of adult great whites. 1

Great White Shark Size Compared To Human

Great White Shark Size Compared with human
Great White Shark Size Explained & Compared With Others

Humans, like the Great White Shark are one of the top predators in the food chain, but in terms of their individual size where does each of these species stand? 

Great white sharks are much larger than the average human, and they are known for their powerful swimming ability and sharp teeth.

While the average adult human is about 5.5-5.9 feet and weighs about 132 to 176 pounds (60 to 80 kgs). In contrast, the Great white shark is much larger and has a length of 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters), and weighs about 680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds). 

Animal type LengthWeight 
Great white shark 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters) 680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds)
Average adult human 5.5 to 5.9 feet132 to 176 pounds (60 to 80 kgs)

Great White Shark Size Compared To Orca

Great White Shark Size Compared with orca
Great White Shark Size Explained & Compared With Others

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are large, predatory marine mammals that are found in all the world’s oceans. 

They are known for their distinctive black-and-white coloration and their powerful swimming ability. Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family, and they are intelligent and social animals that live in pods.

Like the Orcas, the Great white sharks are also one of the largest shark species. While the Great white shark has a length of 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters) and an average weight of around 680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds). On the other hand, the Orca is 6 to 8 meters (20 to 26 ft) long and 6 metric tons (13,000 pounds) heavy. 

Overall the orcas are larger and heavier than the Great white shark. 

Animal type LengthWeight 
Great white shark 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters)680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds)
Orcas6 to 8 meters (20 to 26 ft)6 metric tons (13,000 pounds)

Also Check Out Our Guide On Other Shark Sizes

Great White Shark Size Compared To Blue Whale

Great White Shark Size Compared with blue whale
Great White Shark Size Explained & Compared With Others

Moving on to one of the most commonly seen and talked about animals, the whale. Specifically, the Blue whale, which are massive animals, which are found in all the world’s oceans, although they are most commonly found in the cold, polar waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. 

So, Great white sharks are large predatory fish, but they are still significantly smaller than blue whales, which are the largest animals on Earth. 

Adult great white sharks typically grow to be about 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters) long and weigh around 680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds). 

In contrast, adult blue whales can reach lengths of up to 29.9 meters (98 ft) and weigh as much as 200 tons. Blue whales are significantly larger and more massive than great white sharks, and they are also much longer. 

Animal type LengthWeight 
Great white shark 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters)680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds)
Antarctic blue whale 29.9 meters (98 ft)400,000 pounds (200 tons)

Great White Shark Size Compared To Megalodon

Lastly if we compare the Great white shark with one of the largest extinct species, the Megalodon, we would see that the Megalodon is much larger. 

Nonetheless, Megalodon, which lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago, was a massive predatory shark that is believed to have been significantly larger than any shark species that exists today. 

Estimates of megalodon’s size vary, but it is generally thought to have been up to 44 to 56 feet (13-17 m) long and weigh several hundred tons. 

In comparison, adult great white sharks typically grow to be about 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters) long and weigh around 680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds). 

While it is difficult to accurately compare the size of extinct species to modern ones, it is clear that the megalodon was much larger than the great white shark.

Animal type LengthWeight 
Great white shark 11-20 feet (3.3-6 meters)680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds)
Megalodon sharks44 to 56 feet (13-17 m)50 tons

Conclusion

And that was everything you need to know about the size of Great White shark. I hope this article was informative enough and your queries were answered.

Thank You For Reading!

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