In case you don’t have time to read through the Dyer Island Conservation Trust press release regarding the study of white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) estimates based on dorsal fin identification, Marine Dynamics has provided a handy infographic that summarizes the findings of the study.
Over 20,000 photographs of great white sharks, taken between 2007 and 2012, were used in the study. Dorsal fin recognition was used to identify 532 individual white sharks off of Gansbaai, South Africa. Using this data, researchers extrapolated that Gansbaai’s total estimated white shark population is between 808 and 1008.
Research conducted by Marine Dynamics a Shark Cage Diving Operator in Gansbaai South Africa