LAST UPDATED: 01.07.2023

LAST UPDATED: 01.07.2023

WHITE SHARK

WHITE SHARK

Carcharodon carcharias

Carcharodon carcharias

Many people are surprised to learn that the white shark frequents the east coast of Canada, and even the St. Lawrence Gulf and Estuary. In fact, the white shark is observed more frequently in Atlantic Canada than in British Columbia.

The white shark is undoubtedly the best known and most feared shark in the world. And although its man-eater reputation is exaggerated, due in large part to sensationalistic movies and media reports, it is nonetheless a dangerous species that occasionally attacks people.

In the North Atlantic, the white shark is seasonally present in all of the Maritime provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Québec. Until recently, the majority of sightings and by-catch occurred in the Bay of Fundy. Rare captures and visual encounters were also reported off Nova Scotia and throughout the entire Gulf of St. Lawrence. A white shark was even brought ashore as far inland as Rivière-Portneuf, which is well into the St. Lawrence Estuary and the province of Québec. Over the last decade, documented reports have increased dramatically throughout Atlantic Canada and Québec, where the white shark appears to be gradually re-establishing its former hunting grounds. However, in spite of this apparent increase in population size, the white shark is still considered an endangered species as its numbers remain relatively low, and because its survival is still threatened by human activity.

Surprising as this may be to some, the white shark is not a new visitor to any of these parts, nor is its long-established¹ presence in the St. Lawrence a direct result of climate change. Instead, the recent increase in sightings throughout the northwestern Atlantic more likely results from the protected status of both the white shark and its prey—seals—as well as the ubiquity of smartphones and social networks. We expect this trend to continue for as long as the white shark remains a protected species and humans take to sea.

¹ Vladykov, V. D., and R. A. McAlister. 1961. Preliminary list of marine fishes of Quebec. Le naturaliste canadien, 88(3): 17-113.

Order – Lamniformes
Family – Lamnidae
Genus – Carcharodon
Species – C. carcharias

NAMES

NAMES

Common names: White shark, great* white shark, white pointer, white death

French common names: Requin blanc, mort blanche

* The term great once served to dissociate the species from another shark which was also called—but no longer today—white. So there was the great white shark and the lesser white shark now known as the oceanic whitetip shark. The oceanic whitetip shark has never been called white or lesser white in French so the term grand requin blanc has never been necessary. It is therefore an obsolete adjective in English in addition to being a useless calque in French. Great white shark has thus been going out of fashion and has been dropped by many researchers, including the St. Lawrence Shark Observatory.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

• Average length of 3.5 to 5 metres in Atlantic Canada and Québec.
• Variably-coloured (lead grey, brownish-grey or black) upperparts and white ventral side.
• Massive, torpedo-shaped body.
• Large triangular dorsal fin followed by a much smaller second dorsal fin.
• Pectoral fins feature black tips on the ventral surface.
• Upper and lower lobes of the tail nearly identical in size.
• Flat, triangular teeth with serrations on the sides.
• Seasonal presence in Atlantic Canada and Québec.

3.5 to 5 m in Atlantic Canada and Québec

Teeth are large, triangular and serrated unlike any other shark species in the St. Lawrence.
JAWS
First dorsal fin is large and triangular and often mistaken for a basking shark in Atlantic Canada.
1ST DORSAL FIN
Contrasting pattern of dark back and flanks with white underside used to ambush seals from below.
COLOUR
Single keel on the caudal peduncle unlike the porbeagle shark which has two.
CAUDAL KEEL
Posterior tip of inner margin of pectoral fin has a white marking known as a flash patch.
FLASH PATCH

3.5 to 5 m in Atlantic Canada and Québec

Teeth are large, triangular and serrated unlike any other shark species in the St. Lawrence.
JAWS
First dorsal fin is large and triangular and often mistaken for a basking shark in Atlantic Canada.
1ST DORSAL FIN
Contrasting pattern of dark back and flanks with white underside used to ambush seals from below.
COLOUR
Single keel on the caudal peduncle unlike the porbeagle shark which has two.
CAUDAL KEEL
Posterior tip of inner margin of pectoral fin has a white marking known as a flash patch.
FLASH PATCH

SIZE & APPEARANCE

SIZE & APPEARANCE

Maximum length: up to 6.1 m¹
Mature length: ♂ 3.5-4 m, ♀ 4.5-5 m²
Weight: up to 1,970 kg³

¹ Randall, J. E. 1987. Refutation of lengths of 11.3, 9.0, and 6.4 m. attributed to the white shark, Carcharodon carchariasCalifornia Fish and Game, 73 (3): 163–168, figs 1–3.
² Compagno, L., Dando, M., Fowler, S. 2005. Sharks of the World. Collins, 368 p.
³ Uchida, S. Toda, M., Teshima, K., Yano, K. 1996. Pregnant White Sharks and Full-Term Embryos from Japan. In: Klimley, A.P. & Ainley, D. (Eds.) Great White Sharks. The biology of Carcharodon carcharias: 139–155.

DENTITION

DENTITION

The adult white shark’s teeth are large, triangular and serrated. Teeth in the lower jaw, and in juveniles, are slightly narrower. After a white shark has bitten into its prey, it shakes its head from side to side to saw off pieces of flesh.

In 2008¹, a team of scientists determined that the jaw power of a 3,324-kg white shark was 18,216 newtons (1,858 kgm/s²)².

¹ Wroe, S., Huber, D. R., Lowry, M., McHenry, C., Moreno, K., Clausen, P., Ferrara, T. L., Cunningham, E., Dean, M. N., Summers, A. P. 2008. Three-dimensional computer analysis of white shark jaw mechanics: How hard can a great white bite? Journal of Zoology. 276 (4): 336–342.
² The kilogram-meter per second (kg·m/s or kg·m·s1) is the standard unit of momentum . Reduced to base units in the International System of Units (SI), a kilogram-meter per second is the equivalent of a newton-second (N·s), which is the SI unit of impulse.

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

The white shark has one of the widest ranges of any shark species. It is found from sub-Arctic to tropical conditions. In the Atlantic Ocean, the distribution of the white shark extends from the island of Newfoundland to Florida. It has been documented as far west as Rivière-Portneuf¹ in the St. Lawrence Estuary, which is less than four hours from Quebec City. The white shark routinely² ventures into shallow water along the shoreline in search of marine mammals such as seals, which brings it in close proximity to locations where people engage in water activities.

Variations in the seasonal migrations of prey species, an increase in seal numbers, and the prevalence of boaters and fishers equipped with smartphones may partly explain the apparent increase in white shark observations in the St. Lawrence. The greater concentration of white sharks along the East Coast may also result in more individuals entering the Gulf of St. Lawrence as they spread out to avoid conflict, and thus re-establish the species throughout its former range.

Until recently, the white shark traditionally appeared in the St. Lawrence for a brief period from mid- to late-summer, but its seasonal excursions into the warming gulf and estuary now occur from at least July to October.

(BELOW) Provisional distribution of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Canada, based on research by the St. Lawrence Shark Observatory. White shark observations have recently become so frequent that only historical and select cases are posted to illustrate overall range. This map is updated with new and historical data on an ongoing basis. Map does not include data from the U.S. except borderline cases. To submit additional sightings or captures, please contact us. Click on icons for observation details.

PREY

PREY

The white shark is an opportunistic predator that will eat just about anything that comes across its path, either dead or alive.

Verified stomach contents

Fish: (partial list) Atlantic salmon, hake, halibut, mackerel, tuna, other sharks and skates.
Mammals: pinnipeds (seals), porpoises, dolphins, large cetaceans (usually dead).
Others: birds, sea turtles.

PREDATORS

PREDATORS

The only confirmed predator of the white shark is the orca (Orcinus orca), which has repeatedly been observed hunting and killing¹ white sharks at various locations. Although the orca is historically² known to frequent the St. Lawrence Gulf and Estuary, its presence in recent³ years has been scarce and sporadic, and mostly limited to the northern reaches of the gulf.

Since the white shark is also rare, and because most chance encounters would take place at the northern limit of the shark’s range, occurrences of predation by orcas in the St. Lawrence are likely rare or non-existant.

¹ Jorgensen, Salvador & Anderson, Scot & Ferretti, Francesco & Tietz, James & Chapple, Taylor & Kanive, Paul & Bradley, Russell & Moxley, Jerry & Block, Barbara. 2019. Killer whales redistribute white shark foraging pressure on seals. Scientific Reports. 9. 10.1038/s41598-019-39356-2.
² Vladykov, V.D. 1944. Études sur les mammifères aquatiques III. Chasse, biologie et valeur économique du marsouin blanc ou beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) du fleuve et du golfe St Laurent. Dept. Pêcheries Prov. Québec. 194 pp.
³ Wenzel, Frederick & Sears, R. 1988. A note on killer whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including an account of an attack on a minke whale. Rit Fiskideild. 11. 202-204.

REPRODUCTION

REPRODUCTION

Little is known about the white shark’s reproduction. It is ovoviviparous and reaches sexual maturity at around 30 years (26 yrs for males and 36 yrs for females)¹. Although birth has never been observed, gestation is believed to last around 12 months. Females give birth to 4 to 14 pups measuring approximately 135-151 cm at birth².

¹ Natanson Lisa J., Skomal Gregory B. (2015) Age and growth of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Marine and Freshwater Research 66, 387-398.
² Castro, J. I. 2011. The Sharks of North America. Oxford University Press, 613 p.

LIFE EXPECTANCY

LIFE EXPECTANCY

A study¹ published in 2014 demonstrated that white sharks grow more slowly and live longer than previously thought. Age and growth estimates for the northwestern Atlantic population were derived from vertebral band counts and radiocarbon dating on the vertebrae of eight specimens (four males and four females). Age estimates were up to 40 years for the largest female (526 cm) and 73 years for the largest male (493 cm). Although this would make the white shark one of the longest-lived chondrichthyan fishes (sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras), it is still nowhere near the lifespan of the venerable Greenland shark.

¹ Natanson Lisa J., Skomal Gregory B. (2015) Age and growth of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Marine and Freshwater Research 66, 387-398.
² Castro, J. I. 2011. The Sharks of North America. Oxford University Press, 613 p.

ATTACKS

ATTACKS

According to the Canadian Shark Attack Registry, the white shark has been involved or suspected in nine confirmed incidents with humans in Canada. The white shark is also reported to have attacked Mi’kmaw canoes in prehistoric times. As of 2023, most confrontations have involved small fishing boats in the Maritimes and Newfoundland over the last century. In one incident, a man died from drowning after a white shark attacked his dory off Cape Breton in 1953. One person is believed to have been bitten by a white shark off Margaree Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2021, in the only known incident of its kind. Unfortunately, it may only be a question of time before increasing numbers of white sharks and humans sharing nearshore waters, along with a combination of adverse physical variables such as poor visibility and the proximity of regular prey species, i.e. being in the wrong place at the wrong time, lead to more white shark incidents in Atlantic Canada and Québec.

¹ Gallant, J. (2022. July 26)Canadian Shark Attack Registry (1st ed.). St. Lawrence Shark Observatory. https://geerg.ca/en/shark-attacks

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

None. Although there is no directed fishery for the white shark in Canada, several individuals have nonetheless been caught as by-catch since record keeping began in the 19th century.

CONSERVATION STATUS

CONSERVATION STATUS

The white shark is listed as an endangered species by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada).

Read

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In the North Atlantic, the white shark is seasonally present in all of the Maritime provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Québec, including the St. Lawrence.

Shark and seal in New France
by Louis Nicolas circa 1690.

Meet the world's most maligned sea creature, the white shark.

Read

Misrepresented and misunderstood, sharks play a critical role in North Atlantic ecosystems, but they are under increasing threat due to their unfair reputation, pollution, and a lack of public awareness. Please donate to help us study and protect the sharks of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Canada before it’s too late.Donations to ORS, an all-volunteer charitable not-for-profit organisation, are tax deductible in Canada. Canada Revenue Agency #834462913RR0001

DONATE

“Fear and indifference bite deeper than any shark.”— Jeffrey Gallant, St. Lawrence Shark ObservatoryTax deductible in Canada
CRA #834462913RR0001
DONATE
Misrepresented and misunderstood, sharks play a critical role in North Atlantic ecosystems, but they are under increasing threat due to their unfair reputation, pollution, and a lack of public awareness. Please donate to help us study and protect the sharks of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Canada before it’s too late.Donations to ORS, an all-volunteer charitable not-for-profit organisation, are tax deductible in Canada. Canada Revenue Agency #834462913RR0001

DONATE

“Fear and indifference bite deeper than any shark.”— Jeffrey Gallant, St. Lawrence Shark ObservatoryTax deductible in Canada
CRA #834462913RR0001
DONATE