How intelligent are great white sharks?

A Guide to Understanding Shark Body Language. Instead of engaging in potentially deadly combat, great white sharks have nonviolent ways of communicating, establishing dominance and venting their frustration. Researchers have documented several different types of great white social behavior. read more

Great white sharks have learned to use different hunting strategies for different prey. At Mexico’s Guadalupe Island, white sharks have learned to attack giant elephant seals from the rear to avoid their sharp canines, and to retreat while their prey bleeds out to avoid a struggle. read more

Intelligence and instinct are two very different things. Instinctual behaviour is repetitive, in response to objects in the environment. It is deliberate (i.e. not a reflex), but does not require training and is common amongst all sharks of that species and / or habitat. read more

Many people pride themselves on being intelligent, yet most have no clear idea of what they mean by that term. We recognize that there are different degrees of intelligence, ranging from moderate to extreme, although we find it very difficult to measure this quality in a way that everyone can agree upon. read more