CRITTER: Giant great white sharks headed to Hawaii

Scuba diving with a 20-foot-long fish with big teeth that weighs over 3,000 pounds is quite thrilling, but diving with five of these giant great white sharks at the same time is beyond description! I had to pause and relax, knowing that I was in no danger, as these massive sharks are the protectors of the very ocean I live in. Hanging out by myself underwater with these magnificent creatures made me realize how amazing our planet is and why humans need to protect it. Here in Hawaii sharks are our guardians, not something to be feared.

Four of the giant female great whites we saw while diving in Mexico swim all the way to visit us in Hawaii during the mid-winter months. Usually just the very large pregnant females make the 3,000-mile journey and they stop half way across the Pacific for several weeks to feed. Tracking devices mounted on these sharks show they dive down to over 2,000 feet deep to feed on giant squid in the middle of the ocean, but once the sharks get to Hawaii it was thought that they do not feed. Scientist for many years have wondered why the giant females that look like a school bus underwater come all the way to Hawaii, then return to Mexico after visiting for a few months.

In old Hawaiian mythology, there is a shark god called Kamohoalii that was thought to be the brother of Pele who created the Hawaiian Islands. This important shark god was the protector of the ocean and marine life and also protected and guided ocean-going canoes that traveled between Polynesian Islands way back in time. Due to the size of Kamohoalii and his ability to cross vast parts of the sea, the shark god was likely a huge great white shark!

In 2019, right offshore here in Hawaii, two giant great whites were observed feeding on a dead whale carcass. This is one of the first times they have been observed feeding here in Hawaii. The large great whites show up at the same time that the humpback whales are giving birth. We now know that great whites are warmblooded and the large pregnant females need a large amount of fat to stay alive. Baby whales can supply those fat needs better than the smaller seals do on the Mainland. Warm Hawaiian waters and whales to feed on may just give the giant sharks what they need to produce healthy babies.

So if you are out diving and lucky enough to see one of these giant sharks, you can “hi” to Big Blue or Haole Girl as these were the names given to the two giant females that are regulars here in Hawaii during whale season. Do not worry: They don’t eat people, as we have way too many bones and little fat to be worth eating! If you would like to see these sharks underwater up close and learn about their behavior and Hawaiian travels, go to my movie link at https://tgilinks.com/4iNTetK

•••

Terry Lilley is a marine biologist living in Hanalei and co-founder of Reef Guardians Hawaii, a nonprofit on a mission to provide education and resources to protect the coral reef. To donate to Reef Guardians Hawaii go to reefguardians.org