Seventy-three years. That is the estimated age of the oldest great white shark dated by an American team in 2014, a male from the Northwest Atlantic whose vertebrae preserved the chemical trace of nuclear tests from the 1950s and 1960s.
This figure changed biologists’ perspective on the species. An animal that lives so long and reproduces late poorly withstands each accidental catch.
Here we stick to what holds up: the measured size, age, diet, real risk for swimmers and divers, the Mediterranean, and cage diving. Carnival records and figures without sources have been discarded.
How big can a great white shark get?
Around 6 meters at most, according to reliable measurements. The Florida Museum places the maximum total length around 600 cm, possibly 640 cm depending on the models. The largest specimen accepted by the scientific literature is a 6.1 m female caught off Prince Edward Island, Canada, in August 1983.
The famous 6.40 m shark harpooned in Cuba in 1945 still circulates everywhere. However, its measurement is disputed. In the published photos, the animal appears to be closer to 5 meters, which is still huge but far from the legend. Sizes estimated by eye from a boat pose the same problem. A fin that sticks out cannot be measured.
Females are larger than males, as they reach maturity around 4.5 to 5 m long, compared to 3.5 to 4.1 m for males, according to the species profile published by the Florida Museum.
| Reference | Value retained | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Reliable maximum length | About 6 m (6.1 m female, Canada, 1983) | Florida Museum, ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research |
| Size at maturity, males | 3.5 to 4.1 m | Florida Museum |
| Size at maturity, females | 4.5 to 5 m | Florida Museum |
| Estimated maximum age | 73 years (male), 40 years (female) | Hamady et al., PLoS ONE, 2014 |
| Global status | Vulnerable (assessment published in 2019) | IUCN Red List |
| Status in the Mediterranean | Critically endangered | IUCN, regional assessment |
How long does a great white shark live?
Much longer than previously thought. By dating the carbon-14 deposited in the vertebrae, Hamady and colleagues (PLoS ONE, 2014) estimated the age of a 4.93 m male at the fork to be 73 years, and a 5.26 m female at 40 years, both from the Northwest Atlantic.
The method is clever. The atmospheric bombs of the 1950s and 1960s increased carbon-14 in the ocean, and this peak was recorded in the tissues of all animals growing at that time. It is enough to find the peak in the rings of a vertebra to set the calendar. Only eight sharks. So we have an order of magnitude, no more.
But previous estimates, based solely on counting rings, capped much lower because the vertebrae of large adults deposit their bands more slowly or incompletely.
A direct consequence noted by the authors: the species is more sensitive to human-caused mortality than previously believed. To compare with other records, take a look at our ranking of marine animals that live the longest.
What does the great white shark eat and how far does it travel?
Mostly marine mammals and fish. The Florida Museum cites seals, sea lions, elephant seals, and dolphins, then fish including other sharks and mobula rays. It sometimes takes sea turtles or raids fishing nets.
Regarding movements, a female named Nicole remains the reference. Tagged in South Africa in November 2003, she reached western Australia in 99 days, about 11,100 km, then returned to South African waters less than nine months after departure, for a round trip of about 20,000 km according to NOAA. The same animal can therefore cross an ocean. And protecting it in just one country, when it spends months swimming between two continents, is not enough. It would be wrong to imagine populations arranged by borders.
Reproduction remains poorly understood (embryos hatch in the uterus and feed on unfertilized eggs before birth), and gestation would last a year or more, without certainty to date.
Its prey have their defenses. The escape and camouflage strategies described in our article on defense mechanisms of marine animals also work against it.
Is the great white shark dangerous to humans?
The risk exists, but it remains low on a global scale. The International Shark Attack File of the Florida Museum recorded 65 unprovoked bites in 2025, including 9 fatal, with a ten-year average of 72 bites and 6 deaths per year. The great white shark is the species most often identified in the 2025 cases.
Deaths are concentrated in a few regions. Australia accounts for 5 deaths out of 21 unprovoked bites, including three surfers bitten by great white sharks. The United States totals 25 bites and only one death, that of a triathlete in Monterey Bay, California. Surfers represent 32% of the cases. Gavin Naylor, who leads the program, reminds that these bites depend on the biology of the animals, climatic conditions, and the number of people in the water at the time of the incident.
In short, beach attendance weighs heavily in these annual totals.
However, the ISAF does not publish any individual risk for divers, and no one can tell you from a screen that a site is safe. What matters is decided on site, with the operator’s instructions, recent reports, and the day’s conditions. Clear water says nothing about the presence of a predator.
Are there great white sharks in the Mediterranean?
Yes, but they are rare. The IUCN classifies the Mediterranean sub-population as critically endangered, while the global status of the species has been Vulnerable since the assessment published in 2019. Coastal and then industrial fishing have caused the numbers to decline.
A study by Ferretti and colleagues, published in 2024 in Frontiers in Marine Science, shows the difficulty. During campaigns from 2021 to 2023 in the Sicily Channel, the team collected 159 water samples to search for great white shark DNA. Only five were positive. The authors see this area as a possible nursery for juveniles and a feeding ground for adults during bluefin tuna spawning in May and June. However, fishing remains intense there.
At least 13 nations work there with various gear, exposing young sharks to accidental captures and even complicating researchers’ work on the water.
Encountering a great white shark while diving on the French coast is therefore exceptional. No one can promise or exclude it. If unknown sharks interest you, our selection of the strangest sharks in the world presents much more discreet species.
Where can you still go cage diving with great white sharks?
The options have decreased. Mexico closed Guadalupe Island to tourist observation of great white sharks on January 9, 2023, by decision of CONANP, for an indefinite period. Mainly remaining are South Africa and South Australia, where the activity takes place at the Neptune Islands near Port Lincoln.
In South Africa, the situation has changed. According to Mongabay (June 2020), sightings at False Bay and Gansbaai dropped from about 205 per year between 2010 and 2016 to 50 in 2018, then to zero in 2019, after the 2017 discovery of shark carcasses without livers attributed to orcas. The link remains debated. At Mossel Bay, sightings have instead increased. For recent seasons, it is impossible to decide from here.
In South Australia, the marine parks office indicated in 2012 that three operators had received a license for the Neptune Islands, the only Australian state where this activity is offered.
For what level? It depends on the format, surface or submerged cage, and it is up to the operator to specify it to you in writing. Thus, before paying, ask for the observation rate of the last seasons, quantified and dated, the refund policy if the animal does not show up, and the baiting rules. Calm seas and clear water guarantee neither the presence of the shark nor the safety of the outing. The reasons to never touch marine life also apply through bars.
The actual cost involves a full day at sea, often several hours of driving, and a price to compare with the refund policy, since nothing obliges the animal to come.
FAQ
What is the maximum size of a great white shark?
About 6 meters for reliably measured specimens. The accepted record is a 6.1 m female caught in Canada in 1983. The 6.40 m attributed to a Cuban shark from 1945 is disputed.
How long does a great white shark live?
A study published in PLoS ONE in 2014 estimates the age of a Northwest Atlantic male at 73 years, hence the often cited longevity of about 70 years. It only covers eight individuals.
Is the great white shark an endangered species?
It has been classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since the assessment published in 2019. In the Mediterranean, its subpopulation is classified as critically endangered.
How many shark bites occur worldwide each year?
The International Shark Attack File counted 65 unprovoked bites in 2025, including 9 fatal ones. The ten-year average is 72 bites and 6 deaths per year, all species combined.
Can you still see great white sharks in cages at Guadalupe?
No. Mexico has banned tourist observation of great white sharks at Guadalupe Island since January 2023. No reopening has been announced to date.
Sources
- Vertebral Bomb Radiocarbon Suggests Extreme Longevity in White Sharks (Hamady, Natanson, Skomal and Thorrold, PLoS ONE, 2014)
- Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary (International Shark Attack File, Florida Museum, 2026)
Photo: Sharkdiver.com, Wikimedia Commons, public domain
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