One of the most feared apex predators in the world is the great white shark. These beasts of the ocean are known for their rows of razor-sharp teeth, beady eyes, and relentless need to kill. Although Hollywood has made a mockery out of these creatures, they did get some things right!
The shark’s hunting method heavily relies on ambush and stealth. Hunting sharks can be alerted more than a mile away by the rapid, erratically pulsed, broadband sounds produced by wounded birds and spawning fish at frequencies below 600 hertz.
These animals eat everything from crustaceans, seals, sea birds, and even other sharks! They’re known for attacking from below, where the prey can’t see them coming. Someone filming with a drone caught an amazing interaction between a great white and his targeted prey.
©Alessandro De Maddalena/Shutterstock.com
In the video, we see a bird known as a Cormorant enjoying an afternoon on the water. Fish makes up almost all of the diet of cormorants. They use a wide range of aquatic habitats because they are opportunistic predators rather than specialists. While their diet frequently matches the seasonal availability of food at a specific place, they ingest a wide diversity of fish species.
These birds are known as being quite a nuisance. Through rivalry for nesting sites and the vegetation around those sites, cormorants have a negative influence on fish species and other bird species.
The cormorant’s detrimental socioeconomic influence comes in second. The cormorant obstructs commercial fisheries, aquaculture businesses, fish-related industries, and water quality.
A Unique Defense Mechanism
You see, these aren’t like any other sea birds and this great white shark learns that the hard way. Cormorants have a special way to ward off predators that’s equally comical and impressive. Their poop, also known as guano, can be dangerous to other animals.
Guano’s highly acidic composition alters the chemistry of the soil, destroys flora, and permanently harms nesting trees. The effect is increased erosion, particularly on sand spits and coastal beaches.
There aren’t many animals that can get away from great white sharks unscathed. This bird notices the shark coming closer and closer and decides that it’s time to go to the bathroom. As soon as the murky, white guano begins dispersing, we can quickly see the shark changing directions.
He swims away from the bird and alas, the cormorant is left to swim in peace. The footage below is lengthy and the interaction between the two animals starts around the 5-minute mark.
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