Great White Shark by artists Gillie and Marc

LOCATIONS

EDITION 1 - SINGAPORE - 19 May 2023 - 18 May 2024
Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
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NAME
Moana

TITLE
Love The Great White Shark

GENDER
Female

AGE
47

FOUND
All major oceans

CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable

This female is 47-years-old and has been cruising the oceans, munching on her favourite seafood snacks for some time. She has a very important role to play being at the top of the food chain, she must make sure that no population get too big or they will all fall out of balance. But she has noticed that humans, which she has heard taste awful, are very scared of her. They see her as a vicious killing machine, which really isn’t the case! If she sees a boat coming near she knows what she must do, swim away as fast as she can.

When people think of a great white shark, many will instantly picture the man-eating fish made famous in the movie Jaws. But these great predators are completely misunderstood. It is true that they are massive, growing to 4.6m long with some being measured at 6m. It’s true they have lots of sharp teeth, 300 in fact which are found in up to 7 different rows inside the shark’s mouth. And it’s true that they have an amazing sense of smell for blood, being able to track a small colony of seals 2 miles away. But they aren’t man-eaters. They prefer to eat on things actually found in the ocean such as fish, seals, and even small whales. There are about 5-10 attacks on a human every year and it’s thought that they were never attacking, just taking a taste test then swimming away uninterested. Not so scary!

Now that we know these fish aren’t interested in humans for breakfast, we can start to appreciate how amazing these animals are. They are so powerful that they can propel themselves through the water at speeds of up to 60km per hour. They are incredibly sneaky and effective when ambushing prey. They will glide below their victims before quickly swimming up and grab them. After catching their prey, they will often "breach" (propel out of the water) before falling back down into their jaws. They are at the top of the food chain with no natural predators.

Female great white sharks are not winning any awards for mother of the year. She will give birth to 2-10 pups but has no interest in caring for them. They are all on their own in the world and have to do their best to avoid being eaten by mum, swimming off as soon as they are born. Males will reach sexual maturity around 26, with females taking a little longer at 33. Great whites can live a very long time, over 70 in some cases. 

Even though they are at the top of the food chain, great whites are listed as vulnerable. And it's entirely as because of humans. Over the years they have been hunted by humans for their fins or teeth, and also seen as a trophy for sport. They are also caught as a bycatch of the fishing industry and get entangled in the mesh used to protect beaches. Not much is known about the great white shark's biology and behaviour so it is important for their conservation that we learn as much as we can.

HOW TO HELP 

Inspired by animals that Gillie and Marc met on their travels, we invite the public to discover and interact with these beautiful creatures up close and personal – this allows audiences to connect, take photographs and share their favourite species with friends and family.

With more exposure comes more awareness and builds on the love we already have for animals around the world. With love comes a greater sense of urgency to create a change and save all endangered animals. 

​The sculpture will be aligned with the hashtag #LoveTheLast to raise unparalleled awareness about the sculpture’s cause across the globe.

To help protect these animals, please donate to the WWF: https://www.wwf.sg/

PARTNER