Where are Great White Sharks? Great white sharks are globally distributed with concentrations near South Africa, Australia/New Zealand, the North Atlantic, and Northeastern Pacific.

In 2026, the primary global hotspots for great white sharks are Gansbaai and Mossel Bay in South Africa, Neptune Islands in Australia, and the Farallon Islands off the coast of California. Historically, Dyer Island and False Bay in South Africa were the undisputed capitals, but recent years have seen a dramatic eastward shift in populations due to predation by orcas (specifically the pair known as Port and Starboard). As a result, Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape has become a major new aggregation site. Other significant populations thrive around Guadalupe Island in Mexico and the coastal waters of the Northeastern United States, particularly around Cape Cod, where a thriving seal population provides an abundant food source. Despite these hotspots, researchers in 2026 express concern over a 5–10% decline in the global population, leading to stricter "no-cage" diving regulations and enhanced satellite tracking to protect these apex predators from industrial fishing and environmental changes.