This question may seem strange, but both species have indeed encountered each other on the Malaysian islands and the northern Australian coast. The question of which is stronger is best discussed using the example of the great white shark and the saltwater crocodile, which have encountered each other repeatedly in the wild.
What is a shark capable of?
Sharks do not defend their territory, offspring, or even food sources.
To understand which is stronger, let's examine the characteristics and capabilities of the great white shark. The record length for a great white shark is 6 meters, and the recorded weight is approximately 2,000 kg. The average weight is approximately 1,000 kg with a length of approximately 4.5 meters. The bite force of a shark can reach 1800 kg/cm2.
Shark encounters result in death for approximately 15 people each year.
Since sharks primarily feed on small fish and marine life, they are not accustomed to large prey that resists, so the shark attacks relatively slowly and is unable to hold on to a resisting prey for long.
What is a crocodile capable of?
Saltwater crocodiles exhibit high levels of intolerance and aggression when their territory is encroached upon.
The maximum recorded size of a saltwater crocodile is 6 m and weighs approximately 1,500 kg. Therefore, these parameters are approximately the same for all animals. Moreover, the bite force of the crocodile, which was recorded, was more than 2000 kg/cm2. So, in this respect, the crocodile turned out to be significantly stronger.
Every year, about 2,500 people die from crocodiles.
Who is stronger?
Superior combat experience, tactics and weaponry make the saltwater crocodile a difficult opponent for the great white shark.
It's virtually impossible to fend off a crocodile's predatory attack. It outclasses a shark in the following ways:
- The attack is faster. Crocodiles are accustomed to large, resistant, and fast-running prey, and their jaws are powerful and resilient enough to hold their prey for a long time.
- The reaction is much faster. Crocodiles have a 270° field of view, a powerful, curving spine, and sensory receptors, all of which are poorly developed in sharks.
- Higher maneuverability. The muscles of the crocodile are best adapted to aquatic conditions, while the muscles of the shark are very primitive.
- The teeth are bigger. They are up to 10 cm long, thicker and more powerful than the five-centimeter fangs of a shark.
The chance of surviving a shark attack on a human is estimated at 86%, while for a crocodile it is only 32%.
When a saltwater crocodile and a great white shark meet, the latter will clearly be in trouble, as the crocodile is significantly stronger.
