A LITTLE WILDLIFE PERSPECTIVE
How big is a great white shark?
Compare your height to a great white shark.
Adult white sharks can reach about 6.4 m (21 ft) long. The comparison shows a 4.5 m example, with its dorsal fin and tail included in the outline.
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE
Great white shark
next to the average.
Average U.S. adults, side by side.
Side view · example 4.5 m long adult
- Average man (U.S.)5 ft 8.9 in
- Great white shark6 ft 1.4 in
- Average woman (U.S.)5 ft 3.5 in
How do you measure up?
Enter your height to stand beside a great white shark.
Side by side
- Great white shark6 ft 1.4 in
- Your placeAdd your height
The animal is an example adult in the pose shown. Its full outline is scaled to 186.5 cm vertically. Side view · example 4.5 m long adult. Shoulder height and body length are explained below.
Where do you stand?
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GET TO KNOW THE ANIMAL
Small facts. Big discoveries.
Great white shark · Carcharodon carcharias
A white shark’s streamlined body and powerful tail help it accelerate toward prey. Its large triangular dorsal fin makes the silhouette easy to recognize.
White sharks travel long distances between coastal feeding areas and the open ocean. Around California and Mexico, some gather in a remote Pacific area researchers call the White Shark Café.
- White sharks can keep parts of their bodies warmer than the surrounding water.
- Their diet includes fish, other sharks, and marine mammals.
How big do adults get?
- Male
- Generally smaller than females
- Female
- Generally larger than males
The published adult size is length, not height. The illustration is scaled nose to tail; its vertical measurement includes the fins.
Height, length, or weight?
Standing height runs from the ground to the top of the animal. Shoulder height stops at the top of the shoulders. Length runs along the body; it is not how tall an animal stands. Weight tells us how heavy it is.
Explore the science: Monterey Bay Aquarium ↗