Great white shark map Carcharodon carcharias Vulnerable
Where the great white shark lives: an interactive map of recorded sightings worldwide.
Approximate range, based on recorded sightings. Shapes are drawn by World Animal Map from 2,589 wild occurrence records on GBIF (CC0/CC BY 4.0; captive and fossil records excluded, isolated outliers removed), grouped into 2° grid cells and clipped to the sea. They show where the animal has been recorded, not an official range; gaps can simply mean no open data. Method · Records on GBIF
| Scientific name | Carcharodon carcharias |
|---|---|
| Status | Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Mapped range layers | 1 |
| Records used | 2,589 wild occurrence records (GBIF, CC0/CC BY) |
| Group | Sharks |
Population
“A 2025 study estimated the global population at a minimum of roughly 5,800 individuals.”
Source cited by Wikipedia: Laso-Jadart, R., “A Genomic Test of Sex-Biased Dispersal in White Sharks”, PNAS, 2025. Quoted from Wikipedia: Great white shark.
Interesting facts
- The white shark is one of the largest living shark and fish species, though it is still smaller than the whale shark and basking shark. [source]
- The white shark is one of the largest living sharks and fish but is smaller than the whale shark and basking shark. [source]
- Among shark species, the white shark is responsible for the largest number of recorded shark bites on humans, with 351 documented unprovoked bites since 1580 as of 2024. [source]
About the great white shark
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or great white, is a large shark. It is closely related to the mako sharks, the porbeagle, and the salmon shark. It is a robustly built species with a grayish upperside and a white underside. The white shark is one of the largest living shark and fish species, though it is still smaller than the whale shark and basking shark. It has about 300 triangular, serrated teeth that are continuously replaced. Its massive, fatty liver can reach over a quarter of its body weight, providing buoyancy and storing energy. The species is partially warm-blooded, an adaptation that allows it to remain active in colder waters.
Photos
Text in “About”, “Interesting facts” and “Population” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Great white shark (revision 1380372675), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: sentences excerpted verbatim, citations and formatting removed. No text added. Taxa and status: Wikidata Q129026 (CC0).
More sharks
Browse: all sharks · all animal groups · all 33 animals