# Serving Great White (DD-189)

> The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a large predatory shark found in coastal waters worldwide. Off places such as South Africa's False Bay, great whites ambush Cape fur seals from below at speed, sometimes breaching clear of the water. Like many sharks, great whites can be put into tonic immobility, a trance-like state, often by turning them upside down; researchers use it to handle sharks more safely. Orcas have also been seen using the effect on sharks. The footage shows great whites breaching and swimming, with the presenter.

- Department: Nature
- First published: 2024-01-18
- Last updated: 2024-01-18
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/serving-great-white/
- Original Reel title: Serving Great White 🦈
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Quick facts

- **DD-189-F01**: Great whites live in coastal waters worldwide. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Worldwide))_
- **DD-189-F02**: They ambush seals from below. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Ambush))_

## Write-up

Great whites can launch fully out of the water after seals. Turned upside down, a shark can fall into a trance.

1. **Worldwide**: Great whites live in coastal waters worldwide.
2. **Ambush**: They ambush seals from below.
3. **Breaching**: They can leap clear of the water.
4. **Tonic immobility**: Sharks can be put into a trance.
5. **Research use**: Researchers use it for safer handling.

## Related case files

- [Resting Rosie (DD-709)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/resting-rosie/): I linked more about sharks
- [Really, Killer! Whales (DD-192)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/really-killer-whales/): I linked the orcas that use the same trance on sharks

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: None needed.

## Video: Serving Great White: Great Whites Can Launch Fully Out of the Water After Seals

- Duration: 41.7 s · Published: 2024-01-18
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/C2RBxzRNkpR.mp4

### Transcript

Great White Sharks, majestic predators of the oceans, possess several intriguing features. DID YOU KNOW? One captivating fact is their incredible ability to breach the water surface while hunting seals. With powerful tails and a burst of speed, they launch themselves into the air, displaying a behavior known as breaching. This technique allows them to surprise their prey from below, demonstrating both their agility and predatory prowess. Great Whites also exhibit a phenomenon known as tonic immobility, where great white sharks can be induced into a trance-like state. This state is thought to calm the sharks, and is sometimes used by researchers for safer handling during scientific studies. Despite their fearsome reputation, these creatures exhibit a range of behaviors that contribute to their complex and intriguing nature. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Where do great whites live?**  
A: Many oceans. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Worldwide) · Wikipedia: Great white shark)_

**Q: How do they attack seals?**  
A: An ambush. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Ambush) · Wikipedia: Great white shark)_

**Q: What is breaching?**  
A: Seen in False Bay. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Breaching) · Wikipedia: Great white shark)_

**Q: What is tonic immobility?**  
A: Often by flipping them. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Tonic immobility) · Wikipedia: Tonic immobility)_

**Q: Who uses it?**  
A: Orcas too. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Research use) · Wikipedia: Tonic immobility)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Great white shark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark)
- [Wikipedia: Tonic immobility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonic_immobility)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Serving Great White." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-189, last updated Jan 18, 2024. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/serving-great-white/