Watch These Cage-Divers Get Up Close and Personal With a Massive Great White Shark

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Have you ever considered diving in a cage to swim with sharks? For some, this may sound like a dream; for others, a nightmare. However, despite the stigmas around sharks, these amazing animals can be interesting to observe. This is true whether you’re doing so through the bars of a submerged cage or through a video, such as the one in the video below.

In the video, several divers wait inside a partially submerged shark cage. They are still close to the boat, their heads occasionally surfacing through the waves. Anticipation hangs heavy as a giant great white shark is lured closer and closer to the cage with bait. Then, finally, the shark hits the cage. The shark collides with the cage again and again. However, it’s not interested in harming the observers within but instead focused on the meat in front of it. At one point, toward the end of the video, the meat is pulled from the shark’s mouth. It then disappears into the depths of the ocean, uninterested in returning to its meal as the bait is recast.

Species Profile: About Great White Sharks

The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is the largest living species of macro predatory fish. These massive sharks grow to be between 11 to 16 feet on average, with females being larger than males. The largest great white shark on record was a female named Deep Blue. She measured in at over 20 feet long and around 2.5 tons. Deep Blue has not been tagged, and so, as of recently, her whereabouts are unknown.

In many areas throughout the world, great whites form a hierarchy based on sex, size, and location. Females, larger sharks, and those resident to the area dominate males, smaller sharks, and newcomers, respectively.

Great white sharks are one of the few species of sharks to lift their heads above the water to see. This is a behavior known as spy-hopping.

Are Great White Sharks Naturally Curious?

Great white sharks are highly curious creatures. In fact, many non-fatal bites from great white sharks can be attributed to curiosity. Sharks don’t have hands or fingers to interact with their environments in the way that we do. So, in a way similar to toddlers and young children, they use their mouths to better understand and interact with what’s around them. This means that if a great white sees a human and doesn’t quite know what you are, it may take a sample bite.

This may be frightening to think about, but it helps show that humans aren’t on the average shark’s menu. Instead, more intentional bites are often the result of mistaken identity, with the shark unable to tell the difference between a human and their favorite food: a seal.

During their free time when they’re not actively hunting, great whites will also spend a great amount of time investigating and exploring their surroundings. This natural curiosity can lead to sharks becoming tangled in nets and lines, which can be dangerous for these interesting fish.

How Large Are Adult Great White Sharks?

The largest great white shark can reach lengths of up to 20 feet, although most are a bit smaller than this. Females are generally larger than males, with the average size of a female great white shark reaching between 15-16 feet, and the average size of a male reaching between 11-13 feet. The largest great white on record is ‘Deep Blue’, with an impressive estimated weight of 2.5 tons and over 20 feet long.