Something has been bothering me the last while. I can’t figure out why Great White Sharks are always depicted as having a big bloody gape? I have researched it a bit but have not come up with any good information. As it I see it though, there are three distinct possibilities:1. The big bloody gape is a fallacy propagated by Hollywood
2. Blood is leftover from a kill
3. The blood is their own
There are few points to be noted about each possibility:
1. Purusing some stock photography (seen below) it seems that there a a mix of shark pictures, with and without bloody mouths. And of course, this may be subject to a photographer’s bias.
2. If the blood is indeed from a kill, why would it stain so long and not simply wash away? Also, it should be noted that Great Whites don't eat that often.
3. If the blood is their own, why doesn’t it attract other sharks?
If you have comments on this topic, please let me know, I would like to solve this mystery!
