Great White sharks are the world’s largest predatory fish. They’re not giant sharks. However, the title goes to the filter-feeders whale sharks.
Female great whites have an average length of 4.6 – 4.9 meters, much larger than males’ 3.4 – 4 m.
Thanks to great whites’ menacing size, appearance, and unfortunately mistaken depiction in movies, they are often considered mindless killers and human eaters.
In the rare case that the fish attack people, it is mainly because the victim’s paddling movements on the water surface look similar to those of seals, favorite meals for sharks.
Sometimes in an encounter between a great white shark and a human, the fish doesn’t stand a chance against us.
Take Rosie the Shark as an example. Before she caught herself in somebody’s tuna-fishing net in 1998, she had been known to be aggressive enough to eat her way through a tuna enclosure in south Australian waters.
Back then, the species’ conservation status was largely unknown, so it made sense to put her down to prevent more destructions. Even after their death, her innocent struggles among humans continued for years until a botanist settled things down.
10 /10 Rosie Of Louth Bay
The story of Rosie the Shark started in 1997 when she was first spotted in Louth Bay, South Australia.
The great white shark found herself in a tuna enclosure but managed to get out by eating her way through.
Since local divers and seafood businesses depend on those waters, the authorities decided to track her movements.
The species was not yet considered vulnerable; great white sharks were not actively protected.
After a while, accidentally, Rosie was once again trapped in a tuna-fishing net belonging to the Lukin family.
9 /10 Humanely Killed
The initial plan was to tranquilize Rosie, but it didn’t happen.
The shark was humanely killed in 1998. Some organizations are interested in purchasing the shark, including the Seal Rocks Sea Life Centre and the Wildlife Wonderland.
The former backed out of the deal, and Rosie became the latter’s property.
While being transferred to Victoria, Australia’s law enforcement intercepted the journey because Rosie was a suspect in the disappearance of a woman. Necropsy was in order.