Great White Shark vs. American Alligator: Which Would Win in a Fight?

Thanks to imaginative filmmakers, the great white shark conjures an image in people’s mind of a ruthless, fearless apex predator—not just of their natural prey such as dolphins, fish, and seals, but also of humans. While these creatures are cunning, aggressive, and efficient hunters, they rarely attack people. They are curious, intelligent, and highly adaptable fish and play a pivotal role in our ecosystem. Great whites make great predators, and very few creatures in the animal kingdom could fight one off.

A betting man or woman might put some money on the American alligator, one of two alligator species in the world. A smarter bettor would note the impossibility of such a bout. Nevertheless, comparing the skills and physiology of the great white shark against those of the alligator is a fun exercise and exciting way to learn about these animals at the top of their respective food chains.

For its part, the American alligator lives in and around various bodies of freshwater such as wetlands, marshes, lakes, rivers, and ponds. Like great white sharks, alligators are one of the most feared apex predators for they, too, can be ruthless, fearless, cunning, efficient killers (not of people, regardless of what the movies say). They ambush their prey. Often, their meals do not even realize an alligator is around, as alligators are able to move their bodies under the water without disturbing the surface. Despite primarily living their lives in freshwater, they can survive in saltwater and are surprisingly agile on land, making this animal quite versatile and a contender in a 1-on-1 fight against the great white.

We’ve done the comparisons for you, so sit back and read about the most likely outcome of this fight.

Stats: Great White Shark vs. American Alligator

A fight between a great white shark and an alligator would require a lot of factors to randomly come together, so to determine a winner of this unlikely bout, we will consider both animals’ physical features and compare them against one another to determine whether the cartilaginous fish or the prehistoric-looking reptile has the advantage. After determining which animal has the physical advantage, we will explore their combat styles. With the data, we can reasonably know which apex predator—the great white shark or the American alligator—swims away with the win.

Physicality: Great White Shark vs. American Alligator

Exploring in detail the five facets of these animals’ physicality—size, speed and movement, bite force and teeth, senses, and defenses—will show us which animal has the advantage in each category and which one has the overall advantage.  

Size

Great whites are the largest predatory shark in the world, with the average adult shark measuring 11-16 feet and weighing 2,000 pounds. Next to them, alligators are positively small. On average, adult American alligators are expected to grow to no more than 11 feet long, including the tail, and weigh less than 800 pounds. This doesn’t mean alligators can’t grow larger and weigh more. The Safari Club International (SCI) world-record alligator measured 15 feet, 9 inches long and weighed 1,011.5 pounds and was harvested in Alabama in 2014. While a large specimen, the largest alligator’s weight is half the size of an average great white, and this record gator’s length equals the average shark’s.

Advantage: Great White Shark

Speed and Movement

For this underwater match, the alligator’s agility on land can be set aside, unless the alligator grabs the shark and drags it to land, which is unlikely since they are known to drown prey. But if the alligator attempts to drown the shark, it could put the shark in a state of tonic immobility and then victory would be the alligator’s. Regardless, this section is about their respective speeds and movements.

Alligators can swim at speeds of 20 miles per hour thanks to their streamlined bodies and long, muscular tails. Their tails, about half the length of their bodies, move in a lateral undulation movement that propels them quickly toward their prey. However, sharks can reach a speed as fast as 35 miles per hour when closing the gap between themselves and their prey. Both animals use a lateral or side-by-side undulation of their tails to reach their max speeds.

Advantage: Great White Shark

Bite Force and Teeth

The bite force of great white sharks is merely conjecture. In a study that digitally reconstructed their jaws, great whites were found to have a bite force that could exceed 4,000 psi, which would be stronger than the confirmed bite force of a saltwater crocodile (3,689 psi). (The smaller shortfin mako shark’s bite was recorded at close to 3,000 psi, so the conjecture has reasonable grounds.) Additionally, their incredibly sharp teeth, designed to slice and tear their prey, measure 4-6 inches in length. A single bite from a great white could leave its prey bleeding out.

On the other hand, the bite force of alligators has been measured as high as 2,980 psi. However, their teeth aren’t particularly sharp compared with the great white’s. Alligators also do not have molars (neither do great whites), so they are unable to chew their food. With larger prey, alligators grab them with their powerful bite and utilize the infamous death roll to shred their meal into smaller, gulp-size chunks. Their longest teeth are about 2 inches.

Advantage: Great White Shark

Senses

These creatures have beautifully refined senses. Great whites’ remarkable sense of smell can detect 1 part of a substance per billion parts of water. In other words, they can detect blood (and not much of it) in the water from several hundred meters away, depending on currents and conditions. Their eyesight is quite excellent in both dark and light conditions. Additionally, they can “hear” vibrations caused by sounds and movements in the water. Cells on their bodies, notably their snouts, can detect electrical pulses and pressure changes in the water. These cells are called the ampullae of Lorenzini, and these sharks’ electro-reception “allows them to navigate through the open ocean by following the map of the earth’s magnetic fields within the earth’s crust.”

Alligators are no sensory slouches. Their senses of smell and touch are some of the most acute in the animal kingdom. Do not let their thick skin and well-armored bodies give you the impression that they cannot feel anything. Alligators have small, pigmented domes all over their skin. These “mechanoreceptors” are concentrated primarily around their face and jaws and respond to changes in pressure and vibration, some of which are “tuned to vibrations in the 20-35 Hertz range, just right for detecting tiny water ripples.” Research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology in 2012 determined that the ISOs (integumentary sensory organs) of crocodilians “have diverse functions, including detection of water movements, indicating when to bite based on direct contact of pursued prey, and fine tactile discrimination of items held in the jaws.” Vanderbilt University summarized it like this: “[T]he crocodilian’s touch system is exceptional, allowing them to not only detect water movements created by swimming prey, but also to determine the location of prey through direct contact for a rapid and direct strike and to discriminate and manipulate objects in their jaws.”

Like great whites, alligators can smell very well in the water. Their nostrils aren’t just for breathing. They have a separate set of olfactory organs in their snout. Because of a palatal valve, alligators can close their nostrils to the water, and the valve will allow them to “sniff” underwater by bringing water to the nasal passages, where they are exposed to sensory receptors. It is believed they can smell blood droplets in water and respond accordingly. Alligators can also see exceptionally well in low-light or night conditions. The tapetum lucidum, a layer of tissue located behind the retina, reflects light through the photoreceptor cells, allowing them to see in the dark. In the water, their eyes are protected by a “third eyelid” or the nictitating membrane. This membrane, however, can become cloudy as the alligator ages.

Advantage: Great White Shark but alligators’ senses are pretty darn impressive

Physical Defenses

Great whites have few defensive strategies. For one, they are apex predators, that is, they are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators. They are, however, very fast and therefore can quickly evade any threat from an alligator. Alligators also sit atop their ecosystem’s trophic pyramid and are fast in the water. Nevertheless, they do have some defensive strategies. They easily camouflage with their natural surroundings. Additionally, their skin is difficult to penetrate. Alligator skin is covered with bony plates called osteoderms or scutes, and this can shield them from some wounds.

Advantage: American Alligator

Combat Styles

Great white sharks and alligators are both ambush predators. These sharks typically use one of two main ambush techniques—breaching and surprise attacks. Breaching requires lots of energy and would likely be a one-time tool used in a bout with an alligator. If the shark misses, the shark loses. The Shark Research Foundation describes it: “The process begins with the shark swimming below its target, often at significant depth. With precise timing, the shark accelerates upward, reaching speeds that enable it to break the water’s surface and capture the unsuspecting prey.” In a surprise or ambush attack, a great white “remains almost motionless, conserving energy while waiting for the optimal moment to strike. When the prey comes within range, the shark launches a swift and powerful attack, typically from below. …The ambush technique highlights the shark’s ability to remain undetected and its capacity for explosive movement when necessary,” explains the Shark Research Foundation.

Furthermore, these sharks’ long, triangular teeth capture, slice, and tear into the flesh of their prey. A bite from the jaws of a great white ensures, in this case, that the predator (alligator) becomes prey.

Opportunistic ambush hunters, alligators lie in wait for their meals. In theory, they can do this indefinitely on land and for many hours in the water. Once prey comes within range, an alligator will launch itself toward its prey, grabbing it with its conical teeth and powerful bite, and gulp it down. If the attack happens underwater, the alligator will surface to swallow its prey. If a larger animal, alligators will use the death roll to shred it into smaller pieces.

Advantage: Great White Shark

Decision

This fantastical match-up would result in a unanimous decision in favor of the great white shark. The cartilaginous fish would trounce the semi-aquatic reptile. Great whites are bigger, heavier, stronger, and faster and have acuter senses for a saltwater bout, although the alligator surely would not accept its loss so easily.

Imagine this: The great white dives deep to position itself below the alligator. It accelerates upward, mouth agape. Its jaws bite into the alligator’s side, as both breach the water’s surface. The alligator thrashes enough to wriggle away. Free from the shark’s clutches, the alligator’s armored exterior lessens the severity of the shark bite, but not enough. The alligator grabs the shark, exhausted and weakened from the breach, and begins to roll; the shark’s body begins to shred into small pieces.

The fight likely ends after the breach attack. That first bite would do such immense damage to the alligator; it just wouldn’t reasonably be able to fight back. The rest is pure imagination.