The breach of all breaches
Another spectacular breach at Gaansbaai by a large white shark, showing off his white belly. Shark coloration is unique and very important for preventing predation but also aids them in capturing prey. The dorsal (top) side of sharks is much darker than that of the ventral (bottom) side of the shark. This is because sharks are ambush predators, usually approaching from the bottom. The darker top side blends in with the darker depth of the ocean from the top and the lighter bottom side blends in with the lighter ocean’s surface from the bottom. This type of camouflage coloration is called counter shading and is an important characteristic that makes them such successful predators.
Description
Another spectacular breach at Gaansbaai by a large white shark, showing off his white belly. Shark coloration is unique and very important for preventing predation but also aids them in capturing prey. The dorsal (top) side of sharks is much darker than that of the ventral (bottom) side of the shark. This is because sharks are ambush predators, usually approaching from the bottom. The darker top side blends in with the darker depth of the ocean from the top and the lighter bottom side blends in with the lighter ocean’s surface from the bottom. This type of camouflage coloration is called counter shading and is an important characteristic that makes them such successful predators.