The only known predator that kills adult great white sharks is the orca (killer whale), which hunts them using sophisticated techniques like flipping them upside down to induce paralysis (tonic immobility) and targeting their energy-rich livers, with some pods becoming specialized shark hunters.
A still from an aerial video showing a pod of orcas attacking a juvenile white shark. Scientists working in Mexico have recorded multiple incidents in which a group of orcas hunt young great white sharks and eat their energy-rich livers.
DNA tests reveal orcas killed great white for only its liver. Scientists have confirmed a great white shark found dead on a beach in western Victoria in 2023 was killed by orcas. Their research is also the first confirmed evidence of orcas' selective eating of shark liver in Australian waters.
The Great White Shark is considered the "#1 deadliest" due to having the most recorded unprovoked attacks and fatalities, followed closely by the Tiger Shark and Bull Shark, which are also highly dangerous due to their presence in coastal areas and opportunistic feeding habits. While Great Whites are powerful apex predators, Bull Sharks are known for their aggression and ability to live in both saltwater and freshwater, making encounters more likely.
Their only known predators are certain populations of orcas and humans. White sharks are thought to have evolved 16 million years ago and are descendants from the megalodon shark, the largest shark to have ever existed.
In addition, these sharks tend to keep clear of the area for at least an entire season. This reluctance to return indicates that the sharks possess some level of fear of the orcas and do not wish to chance an encounter by returning too soon.”
#1 Most Scary Shark: Megalodon
Megalodon was the king of all sharks, a giant that could swallow a great white in one bite. At more than 50 feet long, it ruled the seas millions of years ago. It's extinct today, but the thought of a megalodon lurking in the deep is enough to give even the bravest diver nightmares.
No, 25-foot great white sharks likely don't exist; while historical reports claimed massive sizes (up to 37 ft), current scientific consensus confirms the largest reliably measured great whites are around 20 feet (6 meters), with most adults being smaller, though females are generally larger than males, with the fictional "Jaws" shark being significantly larger than any verified real shark.
One of the most common and least dangerous sharks is the nurse shark.
We know that megalodon had become extinct by the end of the Pliocene, 2.6 million years ago, when the planet entered a phase of global cooling. Precisely when the last megalodon died is not known, but new evidence from the USA suggests that it was at least 3.6 million years ago.
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are the only natural predator of white sharks.
Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) can live to be up to 400 years old, making them the longest-lived vertebrate.
Although no wild orca has ever killed or attacked a human, she says: “They are wild animals. If we don't give them distance and space, they may, like any animal, defend themselves.” The constant influx of boats and swimmers may also affect the orcas' wellbeing.
Killer whales are believed to have a stronger bite force than great white sharks, though exact measurements for orcas are not available. Great white sharks have an estimated bite force of around 1,800 PSI, while orca bite force estimates vary and are not directly measured.
Many smaller sharks, and even some large ones, find themselves on the menus of other sharks, cephalopods, reptiles, marine mammals, and even a species of monkey. These are the things even sharks are afraid of.
Although Deep Blue was tagged with a short-term tracking device in 2014 by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the tracker became dislodged. Scientists can only speculate about where and when she will turn up next. As of 2024, Deep Blue was still alive, but there have been no confirmed sightings in 2025.
Out of more than 500 shark species, only three are responsible for a double-digit number of fatal, unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white, tiger, and bull. Humans are not part of a shark's normal diet. Sharks usually feed on small fish and invertebrates, seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals.
An adult great white shark has just one predator: the orca. Until recently, orcas have only been observed regularly preying on these sharks in South Africa, where they usually prefer to hunt larger adults, which provide more food once caught.
Bamboo Shark
Like most harmless sharks, they are docile and non-aggressive. Bamboo sharks pose no threat to humans, and there have never been any reported cases of human attacks. They have been observed to let divers pet them without causing any harm.
Stay as calm as you can.
Keep your eyes on the shark. If you're bitten or attacked, get out of the water calmly by swimming on your back, and continue to keep your eye on the shark to not provoke or attract it more. Make sure to let anyone else in the water know there's a shark nearby.
So you might be wondering, who would win in a battle of Tiger Shark vs. Great White? A Great White, every single time. Orca whales are pretty much the only things in the ocean that pose a threat to adult White Sharks.
Whales basically have two enemies: Orcas (killer whales, which in fact are not whales, but dolphins) and human beings. Only one type of Orca, the transient orca, is known to attack whales and other marine mammals. Transients Orcas are sometimes referred to as "wolves of the sea" as they will hunt in packs.
And not just anything but killer whales. These ocean heavyweights don't just outmuscle great whites, they outsmart them. Some orcas have figured out a bizarre trick: flip a shark upside down, and it goes completely limp. It's called tonic immobility, and it leaves the shark paralyzed for up to 15 minutes.