GREAT WHITE SHARK

Based upon capture-records or other indices of its abundance, known or suspected Centres of Abundance are considered here (in no specific order) as the shelf waters of Southern Africa (particularly from Namibia to Natal); Eastern, Western and particularly Southern Australia; New Zealand; the Japanese archipelago; the North-eastern seaboard of North America, especially Long Island and environs;  the Pacific coast of North America, primarily from Oregon to Baja; the coasts of southern Mexico, Central Chile; the Mediterranean Sea, primarily the Western-Central region, Sicilian Channel and Tyrrhenian Sea. 

It is stressed, however, that white sharks occur less frequently at many sites elsewhere (e.g., Brazil, Caribbean, Azores, Hawaii, North-West Africa; Philippines; Sri Lanka; Seychelles, Gough Island, Chatham Islands, etc.) and that periodicity and movements are poorly understood. 

Limited trans-equatorial movement between temperate areas, across equatorial waters by means of tropical submergence into cooler, deeper water, is suspected.

Australia
White sharks prefer the temperate waters off the Australian coast. By 1990, Dangerous Reef in Southern Australia, formerly a popular shark viewing area, had nearly been fished out. The White Shark is now protected from commercial fishing Southern Australia waters and Eastern Australia deemed it a protected species in Dec. 1996. Shark netting now stretches along 50 miles of coast to protect bathers from sharks. The International Shark Attack File has recorded 32 unprovoked Great White attacks in Australian waters from 1876 to 1994.

California
Great Whites exist along the central California coast in the Red Triangle--between Santa Cruz in the south and Bodega Bay in the north and then west of San Francisco. Currently, they are a protected species off coastal waters. Federal officials have banned the practice of shark baiting along the central coast. According to the International Shark Attack File, 67 unprovoked great white attacks, or 42.4 percent total great white attacks worldwide, occurred in California waters from 1876 to 1994.

Florida
Great Whites live in both the Atlantic and Gulf Coast waters of Florida. However, they're not as abundant as other species of sharks in the region. With the Passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 that made it illegal to kill whales, porpoises, and dolphins in U.S. waters, fishermen could no longer attract sharks with the flesh of these mammals.

Mediterranean   (Mediterranean Sea Sharks Page) While Great Whites are not common in this region, they have been seen in French waters and in the Mediterranean. They are primarily coastal fish rather than oceanic, and can penetrate shallow bays in continental coastal waters. Since they can raise their body temperature 10 degrees above the water's temperature, they are able to sustain cooler waters.

New England/Atlantic Coast
According to a study by the International Shark Attack File, analyzing the persiond from 1876 to 1994, the Atlantic coast accounts for 3 percent of great white shark attacks worldwide, with 6 confirmed unprovoked incidences. After years of consideration, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed measures in Dec. 1996 to protect depleted populations of Atlantic coastal sharks. The plan covers 39 species more than 200 miles offshore and is aimed at controlling the damage done by commercial fishing and popular shark tournaments.

South Africa
South Africa is one of the most popular destinations for white sharks, especially Cape waters, where they can feast on seals and sea lions. After decades of sport fishing began to deplete their numbers, they're now a protected species off South African waters. Netting protects swimmers in beach waters, where 16 unprovoked great white shark attacks, or 10.1 percent of total white shark attacks worldwide from 1876 to 1994, were documented by the International Shark Attack File.