These shark facts will terrify you for way more than a week

 By 
Bob Al-Greene
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In the film Jaws, sharks are characterized as mindless eating machines.

In truth, they are far from dumb. Great whites are cunning hunters, and their mechanical efficiency is the result of millions of years of evolution. The specifics of how they move and feed are stunning to behold and terrifying to contemplate.

In the graphic below, we've visualized the whip-like motion that allows some sharks to propel themselves as fast as 30 mph.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Then take a look at how a great white shark's feeding machine operates.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

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