---
title: "American black bear vs great white shark — size, speed and bit"
description: "American black bear and great white shark compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle a"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-great-white-shark/
site: "At One Place"
---

# American black bear vs great white shark

**American black bear vs great white shark: great white shark leads on 3 of 4 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

North America's most common bear, and the one most people actually encounter. The largest predatory fish, and the species responsible for most unprovoked shark bites on humans. On the measurements below, great white shark leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | American black bear | great white shark |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 40–280 kg | 520–2,000 kg |
| Length | 1.2–2 m | 3.4–6.1 m |
| Height | 0.7–1 m | — |
| Top speed | 48 km/h | 25–40 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 4,000 psi |
| Lifespan | 18–30 yr | 50–73 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: great white shark is 7.7× heavier.
- Length: great white shark is 2.9× longer.
- Top speed: American black bear is 1.2× faster.
- Lifespan: great white shark is 3.5× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a American black bear bigger than a great white shark?

great white shark is heavier — 520–2,000 kg against 40–280 kg.

### Who would win, a American black bear or a great white shark?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a American black bear weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/american-black-bear/)
- [How much does a great white shark weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/great-white-shark/)
- [cheetah vs great white shark](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-great-white-shark/)
- [cougar vs great white shark](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-great-white-shark/)
- [domestic cat vs great white shark](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-great-white-shark/)
- [American black bear vs lion](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-lion/)
- [American black bear vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-tiger/)
- [American black bear vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-leopard/)
- [American black bear vs jaguar](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-jaguar/)
- [American black bear vs cheetah](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-cheetah/)
- [American black bear vs cougar](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-cougar/)
- [American black bear vs snow leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-snow-leopard/)
- [American black bear vs domestic cat](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-domestic-cat/)
- [American black bear vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-grizzly-bear/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (https://www.noaa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]