"Diary of a Great White Shark"

This is dedicated to my granddaughter, Faith, who is fascinated with sharks. I gave her a shark book when we were all on vacation together. Not an appropriate bedtime story, you say? Perhaps... But, Faith loved reading about the extraordinary abilities of sharks when she was a young girl—especially about Great White Sharks. May she always care about and appreciate all creatures, great and small. I hope you enjoy reading a Great White Shark's perspective from conception to death, as a guardian of the seas.

My Conception: “My mother’s womb was roomier than most; I only had to share it with two brothers (when up to 17 of us could have been crammed in there). But, Mother was injured during mating, when Father held her in place with his teeth. I suppose I’m fortunate that the taste of her blood didn’t cause his bite to become a ravaging chomp, or I wouldn’t exist; but Father was satiated from the sea lion he had recently devoured. Thus, Mother’s egg was fertilized and I came into being."

To-date, the act of Great White Sharks' mating has never been filmed—or even observed! The above silent video may be the closest humankind has come to something even resembling part of a possible mating interaction. “The holy grail for most shark filmmakers would be to capture great white sharks mating,” said two-time Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and wildlife filmmaker, Andy Brandy Casagrande IV.

My Hatching: "I hatched inside Mother’s womb (as Great White Sharks are ovoviviparous). It seemed like I was in her womb forever! It may have been 12 months, but it felt more like 18. That’s a long time; and as an embryo, I was ravenous from the start. I gorged myself on the unfertilized eggs around me. Needing calcium, I swallowed some of my own teeth. Even during the times when I was blind, I sensed my two brothers as prey. Many were the times I was tempted to seek them out and feast on them, but I did not—unlike my cousins, the Sand Tiger Sharks (who are determined to eliminate their rival half-siblings, with intrauterine cannibalization)."

Astounding video of Sand Tiger Shark embryos cannibalizing each other in their mother's womb! The survivor is born.

"My brothers and I share the same father, so perhaps that is why I satisfied myself with oophagy (the feasting upon unfertilized eggs). Fortunately for me, there were plenty of unfertilized eggs to eat (due to my parents’ mating being cut short by Mother’s injury); and I grew to be the largest of her three pups. I was well over 5 feet at birth, and weighed 80 lbs.; while my two brothers were 4 feet and 3 feet. They wouldn’t survive to grow any bigger; but I would eventually double my length—and then some."

My Birth: "During that summer almost 70 years ago, Mother traveled through the North Atlantic Ocean, to the coast of (what the humans call) "New York", to give birth. I hear that humans feel that, even by nature’s cruel standards, Great White Shark parents are especially cruel... But, it’s not true that my mother didn’t teach me anything after I was born… She taught me to swim away fast—to avoid being eaten by her! My 4-foot brother was not as quick of a learner... He did not escape our Mother's jaws."

"My other brother, the smallest one, eventually met his demise by me—while his umbilical cord was still attached. I instinctively learned to hunt, immediately after birth. Once oophagy was no longer an option, my brother became fair game. At first I focused on eating rays and fish. But, when the day came that they were scarce in the shallows, was it my fault my brother happened to swim my way? The shallow waters where we were born, protected us from the larger sharks—but they failed to protect my smallest brother from me! Humans call it: cannibalism… We sharks call it: survival. Most of the baby Great White Shark pups born near me, didn't survive their first year."

(It’s rather ironic that my life is now moments away from being snuffed out by another shark, even larger than me! But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let my life continue to flash before my eyes...)

My Duty: "The purpose of my existence as a Great White Shark has been to weed out the weak and sick prey so populations in the ocean stay healthy. You see, I reside at the top of the food web in the ocean. I am (what humans call) an "apex predator". Whenever populations of my kind decline, the ocean suffers terribly... the food chain below me gets entirely off-balance, wreaking havoc beneath the waters. This is a very serious concern. My job was an extremely important one, and looking back over the years; I'm proud that I took on my duty with resolve. You know what they say: "If you need to hire a shark, get the Great White."

(However, I've lived almost 3/4 of a century; and I am now one of the weak ones. How the tables have turned! I have now become the prey for another 'apex predator' even larger than me! But, as I begin to lose the battle and my struggles subside, I realize I must fulfill my new role in the 'circle of life'. But first, my mind recalls the wonderful years that brought me to this point...)

My Body: "Looking back over my long life after I left the shallows; when I began to explore the deeper ocean, I soon discovered I'd been endowed with some remarkable abilities! It's because my duty to keep the oceans balanced is so essential!"

"I realize the first thing that comes to mind when humans think of me, are my teeth. Yes, it's true I have lots of teeth, compared to humans. My front row has 24 teeth—but I have more rows of developing teeth behind that—five rows total. You see, with all the biting I've done over my lifetime, I was constantly losing and developing new teeth. (Frankly, I don't know how humans get along with just one measly row of teeth!)"

"Below are three other amazing things I can do; they really are superpowers! There are more, but my time is short, so I only have time to reflect on the following three..."

1) I am super-sensitive to electrical fields... "I could challenge humans' most sensitive electrical-detecting equipment. It is because I have “Ampullae of Lorenzini” on my snout. They may look like bumps, but they are a network of jelly-filled pores that are so super-sensitive, that I can sense as weak a charge as a billionth of a volt per meter! I used this super-ability to hone in on prey. If their muscles contract or their neurons fire, I could actually feel it from far, far away! Are you in disbelief? Well, the seawater is such a good conductor of electricity; you shouldn't doubt that the bumps on my snout can even sense your heart pounding, from a mile or more away!"

2) I can navigate along Earth's magnetic fields... "It's too technical to explain, but my Ampullae of Lorenzini also enabled me—and other types of sharks—to swim in straight lines for very long distances. As I swam through the magnetic field, my super-power enabled me to detect the electricity it generates, so I was able to navigate by it. (Amazing, huh? Could you swim in a straight line for many miles—in the dead of night?) I knew my magnetic home address, so I never got lost. Despite all my wide-ranging travels over the years, I've always easily found my way back home, even in the darkest pitch-black waters."

3) I heal quickly and have regenerative ability... "It's a mystery to humans how we heal so quickly without veterinarians, surgeries, or stitches... The secret is in my genes. My genome has 41 pairs of chromosomes, while humans only have 23. Some of my genomes help with rapid wound healing, others with blood clotting. Will study of my remarkable DNA repair mechanisms help humans repair certain problems in their body, someday? Time will tell, but I'd like to think my kind will play a part."

(But, it will be after I'm dead and gone, for I can feel my life ebbing away, like the tide...)

My Joy: "I have traveled over vast areas of Earth's oceans in my long lifetime... Sometimes it was to mate; but mostly, it was in search of my favorite food of all: fatty seals. However, there were times out in the open ocean, when I've occasionally enjoyed deep dives, in search of other prey. Eating is my joy."

(In fact, it is currently on a deep dive that I, myself, am now being gobbled up by another Great White Shark—one much larger than me! I was distracted for a second in my old age, and he snuck up below me—as we Great White Sharks are so skilled at doing. We know it's more difficult for prey to notice us, if we hide our white bottom... Our gray top is indistinguishable from the waters, when we sneak up from below. I fought the good fight, but I must accept my demise. My duty of keeping the oceans healthy by weeding out sick and weaker prey, I now pass on to my own worthy predator.)

My Regret: "I only have one regret... I wish humans didn't see us as enemies. Honestly (I hope this doesn't offend them), humans are much too bony for our taste preferences.

It's not right that humans kill 100 to 273 million sharks every year! Yet, in contrast, sharks only kill 6 to 10 humans a year—and that's from ALL sharks combined, not just Great White's. Those few humans killed by sharks are simply because some of us (who've never sampled a human) are curious for what they taste like; or we mistake them for seals. By eliminating us, humans are hurting the delicate balance of the seas. I wish I could get out that urgent message—and spread the warning, before I die."

Somehow, I have knowledge that the first recorded killing of a human by my ancestors, was off the coast of Japan, around 3,000 years ago—when the intruder came into our home in the sea. Ever since then, human's fear of us has multiplied and spread like wildfire, down through time. Don't humans realize that if they wipe us out, they'll be destroying Earth's oceans, too? For, we Great White Sharks are the guardians of the seas!"

My Death: "My time has now come to an end, my circle of life is closing. There is much more to tell you, but death is mercifully quick. Life has been fulfilling. I have accomplished my mission. My duty is done. Goodb--."