Found in North-Central California waters, white sharks feed on seals and sea lions, primarily during late summer and fall months. The sharks play an important role in the marine ecosystem by keeping fast-growing seal and sea lion populations in balance.

Citing recent research about the group’s numbers and genetic makeup, scientists from Oceana, Center for Biological Diversity and Shark Stewards contend that as few as 350 white sharks could be swimming off the coasts of the United States and Mexico.

Australia
Meanwhile, the government of Western Australia has called for the national protected status of the great white shark to be reviewed after the state suffered its fifth fatality from the ocean predator in the past 10 months.
Western Australia's fisheries minister, Norman Moore, said he was "very distressed" by the latest fatality and said he would lift the great white's protected status if the federal government – which has ultimate jurisdiction over protected species – did the same.

Citing concerns over the impact on tourism to the state, Moore said he would push Canberra to allow commercial and recreational fishing of great whites, although he stopped short of calling for a concerted shark hunt or the setting up of protective nets.

"They have been protected by the Commonwealth and by the state for about 20 years because they were considered to be a threatened species," he told reporters.

â—„ Previous | Image of | Next â–º

-