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Seal from Seal island South Africa

 

Great White with seal in mouth

Anti-Predatory Strategies of Cape Fur Seals at Seal Island.


From direct observation and the data collected, Cape Fur Seals apparently reduce their vulnerability to Great White Sharks by:

  • Group of seals in watertaking advantage of the expanded vigilance of entire groups; sub-surface vigilance while rafting is accomplished via assuming a head-down posture, with only the tail and the tip of the rear flippers showing above the surface.
     
  • leaving Seal Island as co-ordinated groups of 8 to 12 animals; multiple groups – ranging from 2 to as many as 5 - leave the island at intervals of approximately 45 seconds
     
  • single or small groups (2-5) of individuals executing a finely controlled zig-zaging evasive manoeuver when a Great White Shark is spotted stalking below them; this tactic is referred to as “working the shark”
     
  • when an individual is actively pursued by a Great White Shark, riding its slipstream – usually mid-body, at the level of its dorsal fin – to remain out of reach of the shark’s jaws; this tactic is referred to as “on the shark”
     
  • when a group is “hit” (attacked) by a White Shark, the individual seals ‘explode’ from the water in all directions, presumably serving to confuse the predator – perhaps sufficiently to allow some or all of them to escape; this tactic is relatively infrequent but highly spectacular
     
  • when an individual or group returns to the island, swimming the last 50 metes or so underwater, presumably because this tactic reduces vulnerability to attack by White Sharks
     
  • when any or all of the aforementioned tactics fail and a predatory attack is successful, the surviving seals become extremely vigilant - often to the point of seeming momentarily stunned - but are, in fact, hyper-alert

In short, the Cape Fur Seals’ main anti-predatory strategies rely on vigilance and agility

Additional Information

Boulders Penguin Colony

Cape Point Nature Reserve

Blue Sharks

Shortfin Makos

Airjaws

Our Boat Blue Pointer

Description of Chumming?

Life History of the Fur Seal

Strategies of Cape Fur Seal

Great White Shark Facts

Great White - the Predator

Seal Island - South Africa

Great White behaviour

Great White Breaching

Great White Life History

Predator Strategies

Shark Awareness

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