In the first sighting of the creature off the Cape Cod coast, a great white shark was documented devouring a seal for its meal.
Great White Shark Devours Seal
Live Science reports that a group of tourists off Provincetown's coasts were able to witness an incredible and graphic scene of a great white shark swimming toward the boat and proceeding to devour a seal. The whole scene was documented and caught on camera.
The group tour was hosted by the Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch. The organization explained via Facebook that the entire event took place for seven minutes, from when the shark was observed breaking the surface, in what was presumed to be an initial attack, up until the seal was devoured, as reported by Fox Weather.
In the footage, the 12-foot-long great white shark, or Carcharodon carcharias, can be observed nearing the boat when a juvenile gray seal comes into sight. The shark then snaps its prey with its extremely sharp teeth.
Per NBC Boston, experts have dubbed the event as this year's first sighting. The New England Aquarium also confirmed that the sighting was the first of the season at Cape Cod. The experts also caution the public that it's time to be on the lookout for these massive creatures.
Representatives of the Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch explain in a post on social media that, though great white sharks and seals have healthy populations off the Cape Cod coast, events of predation, like this, are not typically sighted. They add that, in all of their collective years over water, this is the first time for their crew to witness such predation.
Sightings Update May 14th - May 20th An exciting week of weather and sightings! Our passengers were troopers-... Posted by Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch on Sunday, May 21, 2023
*GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING* Today’s 10am trip was left in awe when we encountered a large great white shark predate a... Posted by Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch on Saturday, May 20, 2023
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Predator-Prey Relationships
According to National Geographic, great white sharks can be spotted in coastal and cool waters all over the world. They are also considered the largest predator fish on Earth.
Adjunct scientist John Crisholm from the New England Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life explains that though bites on humans may be rare, the sighting still serves as a vital reminder for boaters and beachgoers to be cautious of these marine creatures. Chrisholm stresses the importance of being aware of these marine creatures' presence in order to avoid seals or schools of fish and to stay near the shore.
The Massachusetts Shark Research Program notes that in summertime, great white sharks typically congregate off the Cape Cod coast because of the many seals that dwell in the area. Live Science adds that these seals were almost eradicated in the mid-20th century because of hunting. However, the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 enabled their rebounding.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries notes that as the gray seal population increased, so did the population of great white sharks that preyed on them.
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