Epic Battles: Great White Shark vs. the Most Venomous Sea Snake

Written by Kyle Glatz
Published: January 3, 2023
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The great white shark is an incredibly dangerous creature that can deliver vicious bites to its foes. Not many animals in the sea pose much of a threat to them. At least, not many can match it for size, bite power, and ferocity while hunting. What would happen if the great white shark fought something unconventional? Today, we’re going to see what would happen in a fight between a great white shark vs. the most venomous sea snake. 

We’re pitting a great white shark against Dubois’ sea snake for this fight. This creature has incredibly potent venom, and it’s not the type of creature that would worry a shark. We’ll examine this potential battle and demonstrate what would happen if the two creatures met in a fight.

Comparing a Great White Shark and the Most Venomous Sea Snake

Great White SharkMost Venomous Sea Snake
SizeWeight: from 1,200 pounds to 2,400 pounds
Height: may grow between 11 and 21 feet long
Length: 1 to 2.6 feet long, up to 4.8 feet  
Speed-May swim at speeds of 20 to 35 mph
– Higher swim speeds are for short bursts
– Use their flat tails to move at swift speeds in the water, but less than 2 mph in most cases  
Defenses– Massive bodies ensure few creatures try to attack them
– Can swim very fast to escape danger
– Have color camouflage from above and below
–  Can swim and hide in caves below the surface
– Some animals may avoid sea serpents because of aposematism  
Offensive Capabilities– Incredibly powerful bite force of 4,000 PSI
– Usually have about 50 teeth in the first row of their mouths, but can have over 300 teeth total
– Shark teeth can measure from 2 to 3 inches long
– Powerful venom with an LD50 of 0.044 mg/kg  
– Teeth measure 0.07 inches long
Small teeth make it difficult to bite some creatures    
Predatory Behavior– Can act as an ambush predator or an opportunist
– Often attacks prey while below and behind them
– Probably ambushes prey and bites them
– Hunts eels and other fish

What Are Three Key Differences Between a Great White Shark and the Most Venomous Sea Snake?

The greatest differences between a great white shark and the most venomous sea snake are their size, attack methods, and morphology. A great white shark is a massive torpedo-shaped fish that weighs up to 2,400 pounds, grows up to 21 feet long, and attacks using a 4,000 PSI bite featuring teeth that measure up to almost 3 inches long. Meanwhile, Dubois’ sea snake has a long, relatively thin body with a paddle-shaped tail that measures up to 4.8 feet long and relies on using potent venom to kill its prey and consume it. 

These key differences will influence each creature’s approach to the battle. We need to explore more facets of each animal to determine which has the best chance of winning this fight!

What Are the Key Factors in a Fight Between a Great White Shark and The Most Venomous Sea Snake?

When considering a fight between a great white shark and the most venomous sea snake, we can’t explore every single element of a fight. Fortunately, only a handful of factors truly impact the outcome of an animal vs. animal fight. In this case, we’ve come up with five factors like speed and attack power that will determine which of these ocean-dwellers gets to swim home alive.

We’re going to review these factors, figure out which animal has the advantage in that factor, and then decide the winner based on all that information!

Great White Shark vs. Most Venomous Sea Snake: Size

Most Venomous Snakes in the World - Dubois’s Reef Sea Snake

Dubois sea snakes have a long, relatively thin body with a paddle-shaped tail that measures up to 4.8 feet long.

©IHX/Shutterstock.com

The great white shark is much larger than the most venomous sea snake. The average great white shark weighs between 1,200 and 2,400 pounds while measuring between 10 and 21 feet long! Meanwhile, the most venomous snake only measures up to 4.8 feet long at its utmost.

The great white shark has a serious size advantage in this fight. 

Great White Shark vs. Most Venomous Sea Snake: Speed

The great white shark is faster than the most venomous sea snake. Dubois’ sea snake can swim at speed of less than 2 mph. Meanwhile, the great white shark can accelerate to 25 to 35 mph while on the hunt. These creatures can swim long distances, as evidenced by their migration paths reaching over 2,000 miles!

The great white shark has the speed advantage in this fight. 

Great White Shark vs. Most Venomous Sea Snake: Defenses

The great white shark has various defenses that would help it in this fight. For example, sharks have scaly, tough skin covered in dermal denticles. These protective coverings tend to be dark-colored on the top of the fish, giving them a degree of camouflage when viewed from above, while their light-colored stomach does the same when viewed from below.

The shark’s immense size is also a great form of protection because many animals in the sea do not want to punch above their weight level. Of course, the shark also has incredible hunting senses, so it will be harder to take by surprise than most creatures.

The most venomous sea snake benefits from the innate fear many animals have about snakes. Their aposematism keeps creatures from messing with them in some cases, letting animals know that they face a venomous bite if it comes to a fight.

All in all, the great white shark has a major advantage in terms of defense.

Great White Shark vs. Most Venomous Sea Snake: Offensive Capabilities

The most venomous sea snake has one means of fighting, but that’s all it needs. The creature’s venom is among the world’s top three most potent snake venoms.

While we know that this snake’s venom has an LD50 of 0.044 mg/kg, we don’t know exactly how long it takes to work on large creatures. Still, we know that the snake’s teeth are only 0.07 inches long, which could pose a serious problem with envenomating other animals.

The great white shark is also renowned for its bite, but this animal has far larger teeth and more jaw power. A great white shark can bite with a force of roughly 4,000 PSI, driving teeth between 2 and 3 inches long into their prey. Despite their size, great whites are fast and powerful.

These animals are tied in terms of their offensive prowess because they can both kill with a single bite.

Great White Shark vs. Most Venomous Sea Snake: Predatory Behavior

The great white shark is an ambush hunter that can find prey from far off, close the distance, and issue a deadly bite. Meanwhile, the most venomous sea snake is also believed to be an ambush predator that hunts eels and other fish near the bottom of the seafloor.

Both animals are deadly predators, but the great white has a far better chance of getting the drop on the snake than the other way around.

Who Would Win: a Great White Shark or the Most Venomous Sea Snake?

great white shark

A great white shark would win a fight against the most venomous sea snake.

©Ramon Carretero/Shutterstock.com

A great white shark would win a fight against the most venomous sea snake. Many factors come into play during this fight, and they all point to a shark victory. For one thing, the most venomous sea snake’s teeth are so small that they may not be able to effectively bite into the shark. Without its venom, the sea snake is helpless in this fight.

That brings us to another point. Dubois’ sea snake’s instincts would be to flee from a creature that size. The sea snake would probably be less inclined to start a fight with a great white shark or use its venom on a creature it can’t eat.

While a great white shark probably wouldn’t try attacking the snake in normal circumstances, in the event of a confrontation, it’s probably good to bet that the shark attacks first.

Once the great white shark attacks, the fight is essentially over. The shark needs a single bite to end the snake’s threat and would completely incapacitate or kill the snake right away.

Meanwhile, even if the most venomous sea snake could bite through the shark’s tough skin and deliver venom, the shark could always win a pyrrhic victory. That would see the shark killing the snake and succumbing to the venom later. Either way, the stronger, faster, more powerful creature wins the fight, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise.  

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The photo featured at the top of this post is ©


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About the Author

Kyle Glatz is a writer at A-Z-Animals where his primary focus is on geography and mammals. Kyle has been writing for researching and writing about animals and numerous other topics for 10 years, and he holds a Bachelor's Degree in English and Education from Rowan University. A resident of New Jersey, Kyle enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.

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