15 Pictures of Great White Sharks that Showcase Their Size and Ferocity

You'll appreciate great white sharks more after seeing these photos.

Carcharodon Carcharias, aka the great white shark, is the ocean's largest predatory fish. This apex predator is feared by seals, sea lions and other marine life for good reason. Even though the number of people who have been attacked is low, humans still fear white shark attacks mostly due to movies like Jaws.

However, most of us will never come face to face with one of these giants of the deep unless we go cage diving or hook into one accidentally while fishing. I don't know about you, but I have no desire to try either of those!

That's why we've gathered up some of the coolest great white shark pictures we could find on the internet. These photos will help you appreciate these animals on a greater level.

Breaching the surface

As a kid, I always thought the scene in Jaws where the shark jumps onto the Orca was a little far-fetched. That was, until I got older and scientists began documenting sharks better. Now there's shark images showing fish leaping ten to twenty feet into the air! It just helps you appreciate their power better.

Subsurface giant

I'll admit, I won't go in the ocean. I'm terrified of shark bites. Great white shark photos like this give me the chills. I know they're not likely to attack, but the thought of going underwater and seeing something like this is terrifying to me.

That iconic fin

The sight of a shark fin cutting the surface became iconic thanks to the Jaws movies and has become a cliché in every shark movie since. The idea of seeing that fit cutting through the water towards you seems firmly embedded in our psyche now. This photo was taken in South Africa, a well-known great white hot spot.

The 1916 Shark Attacks

The most infamous shark attacks in history were the 1916 attacks in New Jersey. Four people were killed over a 12-day time period. Fishermen eventually caught this 7.5-foot shark a few miles from where the final attack occurred. When they slit its belly open, they found human remains. Today, scientists are uncertain that one animal was responsible for all the attacks in this infamous incident.

Silhouette

What an awesome photo. Great whites are one of those animals that you can identify simply by seeing their outline alone.

Shark Cage

Personally, I think the people that do stuff like this are completely nuts. That's just me though. The cage in the foreground really puts into perspective how big that fish beneath them is doesn't it?

Raw power

That is really the only way to sum up a photo like this. It appears this shark is chomping one of those seal decoys some scientists like to tow behind their boats. If this had been a real seal, it would have been a goner by now.

Black eyes

"A shark's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes." That quote from Quint in Jaws is what I thought of when I saw this photo. Humans are pre-conditioned to respond to eyes in all living things and that's probably where some of the mystique and fear of sharks comes from. These eyes convey no emotion at all, which is scary for many humans to think about.

Teeth

Great white sharks never stop losing and re-growing teeth throughout their lives. They may go through as many as 50,000 in their lives. This photo gives us a good look at this big fish's fearsome choppers.

Scars

One of the coolest things about these sharks is the way each one has such unique markings. Most larger specimens are covered with scars like you see on the bottom of this animal's jaw. These markings, along with color markings, help scientists identify and track individual specimens as they travel the world's oceans.

Splashdown

We're not sure how they captured this image of a great white splashing back down into the ocean, but it is a spectacular photo.

White belly

Seeing something like this makes it obvious how this great fish got its legendary name. This photo was taken off Mexico's Guadalupe Island, a legendary hangout spot for giant whites. 

"We're gonna need a bigger boat."

This shot reminds us of that legendary scene in Jaws when the shark surfaces for the first time. You can clearly see the different rows of teeth here. The ones in the rear are continuously moving forward to replace the ones that are broken or lost at the front.

Girth

Female white sharks are pregnant for approximately 11 months before giving birth. We're not sure if the shark in this photo was pregnant when it was taken, but we're inclined to believe so just seeing the massive belly of this shark.

Massive breach

It never ceases to amaze us how far out of the water these sharks can jump.

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For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels. 

NEXT: HOW BIG GREAT WHITE SHARKS CAN GET, AND 5 OTHER FASCINATING SHARK FACTS

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