Great White Sharks generally don’t fight with one another for food. Instead, they will have “tail-slap” competitions until one gives up. The loser must continue the hunt for food elsewhere.
Sharks actively interact with each other and communicate using body language.
For instance stiff, arched bodies and gaping mouths seem to be threat displays warning off other sharks.
When white sharks feed on the same prey, it doesn’t make sense for one to bite and wound the other as this may reduce either shark’s future ability to catch prey. For this reason white sharks use displays in order to discourage other sharks.
Observations report white sharks with their caudal fin out of the water slapping the surface, usually in the direction of a second shark. This “tail slap” is the most common avoidance display shown by this species.
Sometimes a white shark will position itself between prey and another shark, preventing the intruder from feeding.
White sharks have also been known to propel their body out of the water and land flat against the surface, causing a large splash. This behaviour is called a breach and may represent a similar message to the tail slap. Breaching might also help remove external parasites, attract a mate or may be the result of a vertical charge approach toward its prey.