Sex Differences in the Individual Behaviour of Bait-Attracted White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias, Linnaeus, 1758) Are Linked to Different Environmental Factors in South Africa

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Feared by some and loved by others, the white shark is globally distributed and easily found in some well-known hotspots. The development of telemetry tools has contributed to the increasing knowledge of the movement ecology of these predators. Meanwhile, the cage-diving industry has exponentially grown in the last few years, becoming a platform of opportunity for direct contact with them. Less well understood are the processes that influence the complex activity of a white shark. Using a non-invasive approach, it was demonstrated that different abiotic factors could influence the behaviour of this species. This study brings new insights into how females and males use environmental information to manage their activity and behaviour complexity. In the context of a changing climate, it is important to understand how sharks respond to a fluctuating environment to effectively manage and mitigate human–shark interactions while supporting conservation efforts. ABSTRACT: The white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a charismatic species and, consequently, one of the most studied and protected sharks. This species can be found in a wide range of temperatures and depths, showing site fidelity and migrating across the oceans. This offers a challenge to understanding the processes influencing their lifecycle and, more importantly, assessing anthropogenic disturbances to their populations. These predators’ behaviour has been linked to diverse abiotic factors. Here, an ethological approach was used to understand the influence of environmental variables on white shark behaviour. A different environmental impact was found between the activity of females and males toward the bait. Females performed a higher number of behaviours under daylight, lower sea surface temperatures, short wavelets, clear and cloudy skies, under La Niña events, elevated moonlight and high tides. Males behaved with more complexity at dawn, medium sea surface temperatures, large wavelets, few clouds, high tides, and elevated moonlight. The world’s aquatic habitats are experiencing significant physiochemical shifts due to human-induced climate change. Knowledge about how white sharks respond to environmental factors is essential to guide management and conservation actions.