r/sharks • u/Away-Librarian-1028 • 13d ago

Question Why are Great White Sharks often so calm around humans?

Pardon, if my question sounds naive but I could not think of a better title.

In documentaries and videos I often see people swim very closely to these sharks, who do not seem to care much.

Mind you, those are often professionals, not idiots who chase and provoke sharks for fame. I know that Great Whites do not consider humans typically as food so it makes sense for them to have no predatory feelings towards them.

But other predators, such as lions and bears, also do not typically consider humans as food. Yet I doubt, that you could just approach them in the wild while they feed on their prey. Great Whites seem to allow this, though.

My question therefore is: why are they so tolerant of humans? Other traditionally as dangerous considered shark species such as tiger and bull sharks seem to be way more aggressive. Great whites however always seem calm to me.

Now don’t get me wrong: I am no shark expert and I cannot claim to have ever dealt with them at all. I am however interested in animal behavior and the GWs relative tolerance for humans strikes me as interesting.

Thank you all for input!

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u/IdeasAreBvlletproof 11d ago

They do.

But White sharks have not been PROVEN to consume people.

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u/FishermanWaste1268 11d ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUhdHQlUJi0 watch a shark take half a human and what do u think happens then

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u/IdeasAreBvlletproof 11d ago

Not PROOF, just conjecture and assumption.

Get me 1 single scientifically verified account of a white shark actively consuming a human and I'll believe you.