Watch This Great White Shark Capture a Cape Fur Seal Up-Close

Written by Sharon Parry
Updated: October 21, 2023
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Do you want to see an expert hunter and apex predator in action? This is the video for you. There is plenty written about the expertise of the great white when it comes to hunting prey but actually getting to see them in action is on another level.

Check Out This Great White on the Hunt

Great Whites as Hunters

At the start of the video, we see a Cape fur seal pup swimming just in front of the camera. It is a cute sight, but they don’t realize that they are entering what is known locally as the kill zone. The location is off Dyer Island, Gansbaai, South Africa. Within seconds, we find out why the area got its name. A great white shark looms into view behind the little seal, accompanied by the gasps of the people on the boat.

There is another short sequence of the unsuspecting seal frolicking in the water and then the attack starts. The great white flicks its huge body out of the water behind the seal creating a giant wave. But it hasn’t worked! We see the seal emerging through the white foam- sadly the relief is short-lived. The shark attacks again from below, with deadly accuracy, and that is the last we see of the little seal.

Great whites are apex predators and hunt seals, dolphins, and sea lions. They use power, speed, and shock tactics to hunt their prey, often from below.

Great White Shark

Great whites are apex predators and hunt seals, dolphins, and sea lions.

©Tomas Kotouc/Shutterstock.com

Cape Fur Seal Habitat and Behavior

Cape fur seals (also known as brown seals) are marine mammals that breathe air but spend a lot of time in the water. This can involve spending months at a time at sea. They can spend up to 10 minutes under the water without surfacing and some can dive up to 800 feet but most dive to 100 feet.

They have a thick layer of blubber under their skin that makes them buoyant and insulates them. It also makes them very nutritious for any animal that preys on them. Their predators include killer whales, other seals, and even foxes in some countries, as well as great white sharks.

Female seals are pregnant for 12 months and give birth to a single pup that weighs between 11 and 13 pounds. The pup can swim and walk on land from birth. Seals feed on fish, squid, and birds and live for up to 18 years, provided they do not end up as a meal for a great white!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Ramon Carretero/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Dr Sharon Parry is a writer at A-Z animals where her primary focus is on dogs, animal behavior, and research. Sharon holds a PhD from Leeds University, UK which she earned in 1998 and has been working as a science writer for the last 15 years. A resident of Wales, UK, Sharon loves taking care of her spaniel named Dexter and hiking around coastlines and mountains.

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