Great White Sharks Are Being Scared From Their Habitat by Just 2 Predators

Great White Sharks Are Being Scared From Their Habitat by Just 2 Predators

NATURE
20 January 2023
ByMICHELLE STARR





There is no sea creature whose name inspires terror – rightly or wrongly – as much as the great white shark.

With its sleek body optimized for hunting, its sharp teeth, and its (somewhat undeserved) reputation for enjoying human flesh, the great white (Carcharodon carcharias) is widely regarded as one of the ocean's top predators.

And that's true, it is – but there's something even the great white fears.

Since 2017, scientists have documented that the sharks have made themselves extremely scarce off the coast of South Africa, where they usually congregate. Initially, the strange disappearance was blamed on human activity, such as overfishing.

But research has confirmed in detail the true culprit: a pair of orcas (Orcinus orca), hunting the sharks and slurping out their delicious, nutritious, vitamin-rich livers.



Once upon a time, the fishing town of Gansbaai on the South African coast was something of a mecca for shark-spotters – so heavily populated with the predators that nearby Dyer Island is considered the great white shark capital of the world.

Over the last few years, however, the sharks' presence has been diminishing. ...........(more)

https://www.sciencealert.com/great-white-sharks-are-being-scared-from-their-habitat-by-just-2-predators