Great white sharks occur in a wide range of sizes, but average 4.3 to 5.5 m (14-18 ft.) and roughly 680 to 1,800 kg (1,500 - 4,000 lb.). The largest great white ever documented, caught off the coast of Cuba, measured 6.4 m (21 ft). Although it is not the largest of all sharks, the great white is the largest predatory shark. Some relatively harmless sharks, like the whale shark, are much larger than the great white.

Great white sharks inhabit temperate waters worldwide, primarily along coastlines. Though not abundant, they are most frequently sighted off the coasts of the United States, Australia, and South Africa.

Scientists can easily identify the teeth of a great white shark. The upper teeth are large, broad, and triangular, while the lower teeth are slightly more slender. All the teeth are serrated. Like other sharks, a great white continually looses its teeth and replaces them with new ones.

Though great white attacks on humans are well documented, they are generally rare. Recent studies suggest that great whites may find humans unpalatable. Attacks probably occur when a shark mistakes a human for a seal or sea lion, the great white's principal prey.

Great whites are often caught intentionally by fishermen, or incidentally as bycatch. All sharks play an important role in ocean ecosystems; without them, some animal populations would increase tremendously, adversely affecting marine food chains. One way to help conserve sharks is to learn more about them.