slideshow

Photo Sequence of Great White Shark Hunting

Great white sharks are athletic hunters, leaping completely out of the water as they attack prey from below. They have six highly refined senses: smell, hearing, touch, taste, sight, and electromagnetism. These senses, along with a sleek, torpedo-shaped body, make them highly skilled hunters. In this breaching sequence, watch as a great white shark captures its prey, and learn more about this top predator's life, ecology, evolution, and conservation status in the great white shark section.

Sharks have a long and impressive lineage, and they often serve as top predators—keeping populations of prey species in check. Sharks face only one real threat to their survival—humans. Every year, humans kill an estimated 70 million sharks.Check out these "5 Reasons to Revere Not Fear Sharks."

 

Tags: Predation
A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach.
Preview A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 1.
Preview Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab their prey in one swift snatch. Follow the whole breaching action in this slideshow.
Preview Great White Shark breaching
Preview A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 4.
Preview A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 5.
Preview A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 6.
Preview A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 7.
A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach.

Breaching Sequence

Credit: © Morne Hardenberg

Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab an unsuspecting seal or sea lion in one swift snatch. Follow the action in this slideshow. Learn more about the great white shark in the Great White Shark section.

A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 1.

Breaching Sequence 1

Credit: © Morne Hardenberg

Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab an unsuspecting seal or sea lion in one swift snatch. Follow the action in this slideshow. More about the great white shark can be found in our Great White Shark section.

Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab their prey in one swift snatch. Follow the whole breaching action in this slideshow.

Breaching Great White Shark on the Hunt

Credit: © Morne Hardenberg

It's hard to imagine a 2000-pound animal launching itself out of the water while hunting, but the great white shark does just that. This spectacular behavior is called breaching, and great white sharks breach in order to catch fast-moving prey like seals. Swimming fast at the surface, sharks can reach 40 miles per hour and fly 10 feet into the air; however, breaching is relatively rare because the shark has to use so much energy to propel itself. Follow the whole breaching action in this slideshow.

Great White Shark breaching

Great White Shark Breaching Sequence- Frame 3

Credit: © Morne Hardenberg

Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab an unsuspecting seal or sea lion in one swift snatch. Follow the action in this slideshow of a breaching sequence.

A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 4.

Breaching Sequence 4

Credit: © Morne Hardenberg

Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab an unsuspecting seal or sea lion in one swift snatch. Follow the action in this slideshow.

A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 5.

Breaching Sequence 5

Credit: © Morne Hardenberg

Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab an unsuspecting seal or sea lion in one swift snatch. Follow the action in this slideshow.

A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 6.

Breaching Sequence 6

Credit: © Morne Hardenberg

Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab an unsuspecting seal or sea lion in one swift snatch. Follow the action in this slideshow.

A frame-by-frame view of a Great White Shark breach- frame 7.

Breaching Sequence 7

Credit: © Morne Hardenberg

Great White Sharks breach to hunt -- with split-second timing they grab an unsuspecting seal or sea lion in one swift snatch. Follow the action in this slideshow.