Can Great White Sharks See in Murky Water? – The Science of Shark Vision

Imagine descending into the Atlantic, where the sunlight fades into a dense, emerald fog. In this “pea soup” visibility, most predators would be rendered helpless, yet the Great White Shark remains the ocean’s most formidable tactical hunter. For years, scientists and divers have wondered: how much do these apex predators actually see when the water turns turbid? While we often focus on their legendary sense of smell, the Great White’s ocular mechanics are surprisingly sophisticated, adapted for more than just crystal-clear tropical seas. To understand how they strike with such precision in the gloom, we have to look past the “dead eyes” of Hollywood and into the complex biology of how a shark perceives a world without light.

A white shark’s eyes are almost completely different sides of its head, so the shark has a nearly 360-degree field of Vision. However, they have two major blind spots: right in front of the snout and right behind the head.

Sharks’ eyes are built just like ours

A shark’s eye is similar to the eye of other vertebrates, with many parts that we’d recognise: a lens, a retina, an iris and a cornea. Shark eyes have duplex retinas, or retinas containing both rod and cone cells. Rods enable the shark to see light and darkness, while cones allow for the detection of colour (scientists are still unsure how sharks interpret colours).

Sharks can see even in dark or murky water

Unlike humans, sharks’ eyes are equipped with a layer of mirrored crystals located behind the retina. This provides a means for light to be detected a second time. Light is de-focused, acuity is reduced and sensitivity increases. Such an adaptation enables sharks to see even in low light and dark or murky water, and up to ten times better than humans in clear water.

Also, unlike humans, shark eyelids serve to protect the eye when attacking prey. Some sharks have a clear membrane that covers and protects the eye when a shark bites its prey. Great White Sharks lack this membrane and therefore roll their pupils back in their heads for protection when feeding.

The size and shape of the eye vary for different sharks

The feeding habits of sharks also influence eye size, whereas sharks that feed on larger, fast-moving prey have larger eyes than sharks that primarily feed on sedentary prey. Despite their vast sensory abilities, sharks still rely on eyesight when seeking food; therefore, their eyesight is as keenly adapted to their environments as their other senses.