What dramatic hunting strategy is often employed off the coast of South Africa when targeting seals?
Answer
Breaching
Hunting strategies employed by great white sharks are highly dependent on local prey behavior and environment. Off the coast of South Africa, where the preferred prey includes Cape fur seals, observations have documented a spectacular and violent hunting maneuver. This technique involves the shark executing a massive upward ambush from the depths, resulting in the shark launching its entire body completely out of the water—a behavior known as breaching—as it strikes the target seal. This dramatic exit from the water is a specialized predatory tactic developed for securing certain fast-moving marine mammal prey in that specific locale.
Related Questions
What staple prey item is documented for very young white sharks off Southern California?What are the two main categories of high-fat prey targeted by adult white sharks exceeding 3 meters?What dramatic hunting strategy is often employed off the coast of South Africa when targeting seals?What capability development allows white sharks to incorporate marine mammals without ceasing fish consumption?What unusual physical evidence was found embedded in the jaws of a large female shark off western North America?What dominated the stomach contents of juvenile sharks studied off the east Australian coast?What is the primary energetic advantage for an adult white shark feeding on whale carcasses?What sensory mechanism appears to be used by sharks to selectively assess caloric content in carrion?Why do observers from above often witness only a fraction of the feeding ecology of white sharks?What specific change occurs to the third upper lateral tooth in maturing male white sharks?