Sharks can be terrifying enough on their own, but imagine being surrounded by dozens of them when they begin to feed. Like something out of a nightmare, the sharks in this video from NowThisImpact’s YouTube channel suddenly explode into a feisty feeding frenzy. But what triggers this sudden burst of aggression? What exactly causes sharks to go into such a feeding frenzy?
What Is a Feeding Frenzy?
Sharks typically eat sea mammals, fish, turtles, and sea birds.
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Feeding frenzies can happen among many animal species, but sharks and piranhas are some of the most well-known examples. A feeding frenzy occurs when a group of predators — in this case, a group of sharks — compete aggressively for food. The predators swarm the prey or resource and try to consume as much as possible before it’s gone.
This is similar to when a group of humans breaks open a piñata. When the piñata bursts open, everyone chaotically rushes to grab their share before the candy is all gone. Essentially, a feeding frenzy is a rapid competition for the same limited resource. Just like children may accidentally push one another over in their rush to reach the piñata’s candy, sharks can also become so hyper-focused on getting good that they unintentionally bite other sharks near them.
What Causes a Feeding Frenzy?
Sharks have electroreceptors around their face that detect electrical fields in the water.
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Several things can trigger a shark feeding frenzy. Sharks have unique electroreceptors that help them detect distressed, injured, or bleeding prey animals. As you can imagine, a large group of animals emitting these signals will quickly attract many sharks, which can trigger a frenzy. Although the presence of multiple sharks doesn’t always result in a feeding frenzy, it certainly will intensify the situation.
However, even healthy and relaxed prey animals in large groups can trigger a frenzy. The sheer amount of available food, such as a massive school of fish, a group of young seals, or a whale carcass, can spark a feeding frenzy. Sharks are opportunistic eaters who can go several weeks without food — so, when large quantities of food are available, they quickly and aggressively take advantage of the opportunity.
What Types of Creatures Cause Sharks to Go Into a Feeding Frenzy?
Most researchers assert that feeding frenzies are not super common.
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Large schools of fish, like mackerel, sardines, tuna, and herring, are common triggers for shark feeding frenzies. An injured or dying whale, a seal, or even a single fish can also spark a feeding frenzy. As seen in the video above, feeding frenzies often occur near fishing boats, where fish being reeled in struggle and put out distress signals that attract sharks.
