# Kodiak Bear Vs. Great White Shark??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2002, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744 "2002-07-07T05:01:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/21 "2002-07-07T18:26:26Z")
Sharks have cartiledge instead on bones, do they not? Does the bear get water skis? ---
**Author:** ![Wicked\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wicked\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wicked_Blue)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/22 "2002-07-07T18:36:05Z")
This thread made me think of a quote by Jack Handy. _Contrary to what most people say, the most dangerous animal in the world is not the lion or the tiger or even the elephant. It’s a shark riding on an elephant’s back, just trampling and eating everything they see._ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/23 "2002-07-07T18:46:23Z")
This thread belongs in a new forum entitled, “Entirely Pointless Things I Feel Strangely Compelled to Share”. Why on Earth do people care about this sort of thing? The shark and the bear do not compete for the same prey at all, or at least, not in the same way. The point is they are not directly competitive. I’m imagining a shark and a bear wondering, “How the Hell did I get into this mess?” (material for Gary Larson?) The only answer for either of these two hapless opponents would be the amazing and relentless stupidity of man. I comfort myself that no such foolishness would ever occur, but perhaps I am a fool to do so. The unremitting low standards of taste and discretion observed by the human herd does make such a spectacle possible. I hope that no such thing ever does happen, but one never knows. The whale/shark video was fascinating btw. Oh yeah, and, The shark by a country mile! 😛 I’m kidding! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/24 "2002-07-07T19:05:43Z")
As I understand it, sharks don’t actually bite off limbs, they just clamp on and shake their victim until the limb rips off. Needless to say, this is of very limited effectiveness against a “victim” of comparable or greater mass. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/25 "2002-07-07T19:18:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*So what holds the shark together then? Rubber bands? 🙂 \*\* [What is a Shark?](http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/allabout/) > [@](#): > > Sharks are a type of fish that have no bones, only cartilage. Some parts of their skeleton, like their vertebrae, are calcified. Cartilage, a strong fibrous substance, is softer than bone; our nose and ears are made of cartilage. [Why is a shark’s body composed of cartilage and what is the evolutionary advantage of this](http://www.reefquest.com/topics/cartilage.htm) > [@](#): > > A shark’s body is – of course – composed of many different types of tissue, of which cartilage is but one. If I may be permitted to presume, I think that what you meant to ask is something along the lines of: for sharks, what is the evolutionary advantage of having a cartilaginous skeleton? > > Unlike most vertebrates, sharks do not rely on their internal skeleton to provide them with firm sites for muscle attachment. Instead, underneath their sandpapery outer covering (studded with countless thousands of tiny, tooth-like scales called ‘dermal denticles’ ), sharks have a thick skin composed of a complexly criss-crossed meshwork of tough-but-springy fibres made of a protein called collagen. This meshwork of collagen fibers forms a kind of ‘corset’ to which the swimming muscles attach. By having their swimming muscles attached directly to the tough, armor-like skin, the skin is able to act as a kind of external skeleton. From a mechanical perspective, having the muscles attached directly to an external skeleton is a very efficient arrangement, resulting in very little waste of muscular energy – which explains why even the tiniest crab can give such a disproportionately painful nip! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/26 "2002-07-07T19:27:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grienspace \* > \*\*Okay, the facts > > 1. The bear has two weapons. Two sledgehammers. Grizzly/brown bears are commonly known to kill elk with one swipe. Instant kills. > > 2. GW sharks commonly hit their target from below and then back off waiting for the prey to bleed to death. > > 3. the largest shark on record weighed 1302 pounds ( > [http://technology.mcpss.com/~satsumahigh/greatwhite.htm](http://technology.mcpss.com/~satsumahigh/greatwhite.htm) ) > > 4. the largest brown bear on record weighed 2200 pounds ([http://www.bobpickett.org/velvet\_claw.htm](http://www.bobpickett.org/velvet_claw.htm) ) > > 5. the largest recorded polar bear weighed 2210 pounds ( [http://www.montana.com/rattlesnake/polar.htm](http://www.montana.com/rattlesnake/polar.htm) ) > > It seems that if we consider the extreme upper sizes of the two species , GWshark versus Kodiak, the Kodiak outweighs the shark by 900 pounds. Considering the largest elk weighs 1100 pounds ( [http://www.colorado-elk-deer-hunting.com/Elk%20Facts.htm](http://www.colorado-elk-deer-hunting.com/Elk%20Facts.htm) ) just shy of the maximum GW shark weight, the Kodiak should have no trouble dispatching the GWS. > > Furthermore , considering the shallow nature of the arena, the element of surprise that is typical of a GWS attack from below is not employable in this case, While the Kodiak can handle the GWS in the familiar manner of swiping a salmon out of the water. \*\* That 21 foot shark would have to shaped like a boa constrictor if that 1300 lb weight cite is correct (it’s not). It looks like they transposed a 1 for a 7. Great Whites routinely weigh 4,000 lbs +. The largest on record weight 7,300 lbs. [Great White Shark](http://www.aqua.org/animals/species/whitshark.html) > [@](#): > > The white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, is probably the most famous of all the sharks. It belongs to a family of fast-swimming sharks called mackerel sharks and is the largest carnivorous, or meat eating fish on earth today, excluding plankton-eaters. The largest white shark on record was 6.4 meters (21 feet) long and weighed 3312 kilograms (7302 pounds). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/27 "2002-07-07T22:17:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Forbin \* > \*\* > I’m imagining a shark and a bear wondering, “How the Hell did I get into this mess?” (material for Gary Larson?) > > \*\* Hell, let’s eat the cartoonist. ---
**Author:** ![Potato\_Chir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Potato\_Chir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potato_Chir)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/28 "2002-07-18T07:02:45Z")
Well seeing as this Shark vs. Bear idea has grinded to a halt. I was hoping for more scientific debate, oh well. Let us change the premise of the Battle. How about a territorial Hippo? Those are extremely dangerous and powerful creatures, how would one of those pit up against the bear or shark? I don’t know, for this one i think my money is on the hippo, especially if it had a baby and we take it away. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/29 "2002-07-18T11:46:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by woolly \* > \*\*… and I was thinking the OP might have been a hypothetical golf matchplay between Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman. > > FWIW: Norman to lead 6 and 6 and lose 2 and 1. 😃 \*\* Dammit **woolly** , you beat me too it! AND you funnier than the post I had planned… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/30 "2002-07-18T14:00:11Z")
At this pint, it starts to get silly. None of these animals can possibly get a fair arena for both at once… ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/31 "2002-07-19T01:20:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Philosophocles \* > \*\*The bear would easily crush the shark’s skull. Healthy adult male grizzly bears will prevail in a pure brute force conflict over any other animal. Polar bears are almost as strong as grizzlies, and have killed whales easily. (when whales get trapped in an isolated ice hole, they’re easy pickin’s for a polar bear) \*\* Sorry **Philosophocles** , but this needs correcting. > [@](#): > > [Brown bears](http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/grizzly_bear.html)vary greatly in size. Adult males can weigh from 300 to 850 pounds while females weigh in between 200 and 450 pounds. The largest brown bears are found along the coast of Alaska and British Columbia, and islands such as Kodiak and Admiralty Islands. Here, because of a consistent diet of high protein salmon, males average over 700 pounds and females average about 450 pounds. > [@](#): > > Known to scientists as [Ursus maritimus](http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/hww-fap/hww-fap.cfm?ID_species=69&lang=e), which is Latin for “bear of the sea,” the polar bear is actually the largest land carnivore, or meat-eater. Adult males measure 240–260 cm in total length and usually weigh 400–600 kg, although they can weigh up to 800 kg, about as much as a small car. So, a large grizzly can weigh 850 lbs. and a large polar bear can weigh 800 **kgs.** (about 1760 lbs.) I’d put a lot of money on the polar bear being stronger, but I don’t think I would bet any on either bear against a 14,000 lb. [African elephant](http://www.fonz.org/animals/sppfactsheets/african-elephant-fact.htm). Polar bears do hunt whales, Beluga whales which average about 15 feet in length, but it still wouldn’t be an easy kill. They will, however, feed on whale carrion whenever they can. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/32 "2002-07-19T02:49:08Z")
This kind of reminds me of those “wild animal safari hunts” that they have in Texas where you pay something like $1200 and then you get to “hunt” and kill the endangered species of your choice: cheetah, lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar etc. What makes theis sort of thing even more digusting is that the “hunted” animals are usually straved for a week before the hunt and are often declawed and defanged. Oh, yeah, takes a lot of guts to hunt something that’s been that fucked up, Shotgunners of Jizz:wally :wally :wally :wally . ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/33 "2002-07-19T02:58:57Z")
Teddy Roosevelt refused to hunt a caged bear, hence the “Teddy Bear”. Maybe he should referee this thing. ---
**Author:** ![Vermn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Vermn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vermn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/34 "2011-08-27T15:05:49Z")
Back sometime in the 80’s, I read a book that dealt with this very subject. In the book, a fight promoter stages a battle between the two in a tank of water. Just enough for the shark to swim in but not too deep for the bear. Not a bad book. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kodiak-bear-vs-great-white-shark/117744/35 "2011-08-27T15:09:53Z")
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