<P> Stomach contents of great whites also indicates that whale sharks both juvenile and adult may also be included on the animal's menu, though whether this is active hunting or scavenging is not known at present . </P> <P> Great white sharks were previously thought to reach sexual maturity at around 15 years of age, but are now believed to take far longer; male great white sharks reach sexual maturity at age 26, while females take 33 years to reach sexual maturity . Maximum life span was originally believed to be more than 30 years, but a study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution placed it at upwards of 70 years . Examinations of vertebral growth ring count gave a maximum male age of 73 years and a maximum female age of 40 years for the specimens studied . The shark's late sexual maturity, low reproductive rate and slow growth make it vulnerable to pressures such as overfishing and environmental change . </P> <P> Little is known about the great white shark's mating habits . It is possible that whale carcasses are an important location for sexually mature sharks to meet for mating . Birth has never been observed, but pregnant females have been examined . Great white sharks are ovoviviparous, which means eggs develop and hatch in the uterus and continue to develop until birth . The great white has an 11 - month gestation period . The shark pup's powerful jaws begin to develop in the first month . The unborn sharks participate in oophagy, in which they feed on ova produced by the mother . Delivery is in spring and summer . The Northern Pacific population of great whites is suspected to breed off of the Sea of Cortez, as evidenced by local fisherman who have said to have caught them and evidenced by teeth found at dump sites for discarded parts from their catches . </P> <P> A breach is the result of a high speed approach to the surface with the resulting momentum taking the shark partially or completely clear of the water . This is a hunting technique employed by great white sharks whilst hunting seals . This technique is often used on cape fur seals at Seal Island in False Bay, South Africa . Because the behavior is unpredictable, it is very hard to document . It was first photographed by Chris Fallows and Rob Lawrence who developed the technique of towing a slow - moving seal decoy to trick the sharks to breach . Between April and September, scientists may observe around 600 breaches . The seals swim on the surface and the great white sharks launch their predatory attack from the deeper water below . They can reach speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour (25 mph) and can at times launch themselves more than 3.0 metres (10 ft) into the air . Just under half of observed breach attacks are successful . In 2011, a 3 - meter (9.8 ft) long shark jumped onto a seven - person research vessel off Seal Island in Mossel Bay . The crew were undertaking a population study using sardines as bait, and the incident was judged not to be an attack on the boat but an accident . </P>

When is mating season for great white shark
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