I’m Murry, the Great White Shark. Though we are also known as White Shark, White Pointer or simply Great White, we do prefer Great White Shark. White pointer makes me think of a dog. Great White makes me wonder where my big hair and guitar might be. (I’ts a rock band from the late 80’s for you youg ones.) So lets stick with Great White Shark, or just Murray. I’ll just call you lunch (It’s a joke, don’t get upset. Just get in my water’s and I’ll show you the punch line.)
Being a male of my species, I can get to 13 feet in length (from an average of 11-13). Females can get a bit larger, but we won’t discuss them, you can look them up if you want. I am twelve and a half feet long and have sparkling teeth. (Come close and I’ll show you.) My kind live around 70 year of age, which is one of the longest lived cartilaginous fish currently known. We live a good deal of time. (I know, you are wondering what cartilaginous means and I would tell you if I knew, but no clue. I think it has to do with cartilage in my body.)
I can swim up to 16 mile per hour for short bursts at depths of around 3,900 feet. Since I have no natural predators, be careful not to get in my way. (Alright, so many of you are saying, “But the Orca!”. Well, they attack my kind so rarely that I am choosing not to count them as a predator and therefore I am an apex. So quit mentioning those annoying creatures.)
Please tell all your friends that, though we have a bad reputation, and many believe we are man-eaters, humans are not a main course on my menu. Sure we are the ones that will attack humans, unprovoked more than any other shark, but that is usually due to the fact that we never pass on a meal. Though humans aren’t desired to feed on, they are still filling and thus, keep your distance. (I once chomped on a tire because I thought it might be filling. Just to point out, though, it was not.)
I have keen eye sight above or below the water. I can hear prey up to 800 feet away, under water and in pressure. I also hear at much lower hertz than humans, allowing me to hear movement better. As for my sense of smell, well its amazing. Drop a single drop of blood into the water and I can detect it nearly 3 miles away. (So don’t go swimming if you have cut yourself shaving.) I am a blast at hide and see, aren’t I.
My teeth, however, are my best feature. I have around 300 teeth arranged in rows. The first two are for ripping, grabbing and cutting prey. The others are to pop into place when the first two rows start having issues, such as broken, falling out or worn down. Don’t see many of the side show guys placing their hands in my mouth like that of a crock or alligator. Though I will oblige them if they truly want to try.
Due to not wanting to suffocate, I must always be on the move. It keeps water pumping through my gills. So, you may ask, how do I sleep. Much like the porcupine in it’s mating rituals, I will answer with, “Very carefully.” When I need to sleep, I swim into oxygen rich currents with my mouth open wide. How do I continue to swim while asleep? Well, that is an easy one to answer. I have no idea. I am asleep at the time, how would I know? Look me up on the internet and see if you can find the answer. Let me know if you do, it would be interesting to know. (I would do it myself, but the internet is a bit slow where I’m from. Don’t see many swimmers with laptops either, so getting my hands on the computer is a bit of a stretch.)
Well, until next time, have a great day, and don’t forget to invite me to your next beach party. I’ll teach your grown ups how to swim properly. Just tell them to jump in and wait, I’ll be along shortly.
