The study, begun in 1999, also aims to involve commercial and recreational fishers as well as others who spend time on the water and who may sometimes see white sharks. The information collected by the project will enable more informed decision-making on white shark conservation management in Australia. Introduction White sharks are close relatives of mako and porbeagle sharks and are classified in the shark family Lamnidae. Australia is renowned to be one of the best places in the world to see white sharks, however, even in our waters they are still relatively uncommon. They occur in southern Australian waters from southern Queensland to north-west Western Australia.
White sharks are primarily a coastal species and often enter very shallow water in search of prey.
Size and age White sharks grow to at least six metres, and possibly up to seven. They may weigh over 3000 kg. The most commonly encountered sizes are between three and four metres. One of the largest white sharks ever recorded was captured accidentally by a professional fisher in 1987 off Kangaroo Island, South Australia. It was too large to bring to shore but its estimated length was about seven metres.