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

# great white shark vs polar bear

**great white shark vs polar bear: great white shark leads on 4 of 5 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The largest predatory fish, and the species responsible for most unprovoked shark bites on humans. The largest living land carnivore, classified as a marine mammal because it hunts from sea ice. 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

|  | great white shark | polar bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 520–2,000 kg | 150–700 kg |
| Length | 3.4–6.1 m | 1.8–3 m |
| Height | — | 1–1.6 m |
| Top speed | 25–40 km/h | 40 km/h |
| Bite force | 4,000 psi | 1,200 psi |
| Lifespan | 50–73 yr | 20–32 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: great white shark is 2.2× heavier.
- Length: great white shark is 1.9× longer.
- Top speed: near enough identical.
- Bite force: great white shark is 3.3× a stronger bite.
- Lifespan: great white shark is 2.8× 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 great white shark bigger than a polar bear?

great white shark is heavier — 520–2,000 kg against 150–700 kg.

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

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

## Sources

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