Great white shark

"The white death could swallow us whole!"

―Edward Kenway while hunting a great white.^[src]

AC4 promo 6 — Edward Kenway facing off against a great white shark

Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are a species of shark that can be found in the coastal waters of every major ocean. The largest known predatory fish in the world, they possess nearly 300 serrated teeth arranged in rows.

While great whites are known to attack humans, they tend to do so out of curiosity, rather than hunger, essentially "sample biting" and then releasing their victims.

History[]

5th century BCE[]

During the Peloponnesian War, sharks inhabited the Mediterranean Sea, posing a threat to all who traversed the sea or searched its depths, such as the Spartan misthios Kassandra. They were especially fond of underwater ruins, and were drawn to sites of naval battles, even jumping out of the sea to devour the victims of the fight. Sharks themselves became victims occasionally as well, for their teeth were valued at 328 drachmae apiece and their fins at 42 drachmae apiece.^[1]

Aletheia's simulation of Atlantis[]

During Kassandra's travels to Aletheia's simulation of Atlantis, she encountered numerous golden statues of great white sharks at the Palace of Poseidon.^[2]

18th century[]

During the 18th century, great whites were hunted by various individuals, including the pirate Edward Kenway and the Assassin-turned-Templar Shay Cormac. They could be found in the Charlotte and Serranilla regions of the Caribbean Sea and the Halifax region of the North Atlantic. After a great white was killed, the spoils were usually either sold for profit or used to craft other materials, such as armor.^[3]^[4]

Behavior[]

A frequent target of harpoon-wielding hunters, great whites nonetheless proved difficult to hit, in spite of their size. This was largely due to their unpredictable swimming patterns. Even when hit, great whites were quick to tear the harpoon's rope and go on the offensive, either by ramming the whaling boat or launching themselves at it from beneath the surface.^[3]^[4]

Behind the scenes[]

While "great white shark bone" is one of the resources that can be gained from hunting great whites in the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, they do not actually possess traditional bones. Rather, their skeletons are made of a substance named cartilage, which is lighter and more flexible.