ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment

Census finds just 219 white sharks near California

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
March 9, 2011
in Environment
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Sharks are some of the most fascinating creatures to ever have “walked” the face of the planet; the best argument for this claim would be that they stand alons on the top of the food chain, with no natural enemy, other than humans, of course. Among the species of sharks, a few stand out as true silent killers of the deep, and among these, one of the most interesting ones is the great white shark.

A first of its kind census regarding the number of these toothed animals revealed startlingly low numbers; as it turns out, there are only 219 adult and young adults in all the entire northeast Pacific Ocean.

“Once we went out and noticed that we were seeing the same sharks every year, it started to dawn on us that this population isn’t huge,” UC Davis doctoral student Taylor Chapple, the study’s lead author, told FoxNews.

“This low number was a real surprise,” Chapple said. “It’s lower than we expected, and also substantially smaller than populations of other large marine predators, such as killer whales and polar bears.”

RelatedPosts

The Somali sengi, a tiny cousin of the elephant, makes a reappearance after 50 years
A fifth of all plants threatened by extinction
Great Barrier Reef rodent becomes first extinct mammal at the hand of climate change
Two gruesome orcas are terrorizing South Africa’s great white sharks, slaughtering them for their livers

Sadly, the image of these underwater predators has been greatly distorted by the media, thanks to ‘Jaws’, and a multitude of other movies in the same line. Sharks are nature’s ultimate killing machine, and it breaks my heart to see such admirable animals face such a fate, which they cannot escape.

Tags: extinctgreat white shark

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Chemistry

This Startup Is Using Ancient DNA to Recreate Perfumes from Extinct Flowers

byTibi Puiu
4 months ago
Oceanography

Possible First-Ever Sighting of a Great White Shark Birth Stuns Researchers

byJordan Strickler
12 months ago
majestic tiger
Animals

We only have one last chance to save the tigers

byMihai Andrei
1 year ago
First ever photos of a newborn great white shark.
Animals

We’ve never seen a picture of a baby great white shark — until now

byRupendra Brahambhatt
2 years ago

Recent news

Mapping vertical land motion across the New York City area, researchers found the land sinking (indicated in blue) by about 0.06 inches (1.6 millimeters) per year on average. They also detected modest uplift (shown in red) in Queens and Brooklyn. White dotted lines indicate county/borough borders. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Rutgers University.

Satellite data shows New York City is still sinking — and so are many big US cities

September 15, 2025

How Bees Use the Sun for Navigation Even on Cloudy Days

September 12, 2025

Scientists Quietly Developed a 6G Chip Capable of 100 Gbps Speeds

September 12, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.