South African kelp forests have long been thought to be a safe place for Cape fur seals to frolic, with great white sharks never known to hunt in these areas. Recently, however, West Australian marine biologist Oliver Jewell from Murdoch University captured footage of these sharks swimming through these ocean forests.
Video cameras with trackers were attached to the fins of eight great whites. Approximately 28 hours of footage was recorded from each animal. Speaking to Perth Now, Jewell said, ‘The cameras allow us to see what is going on beneath the surface. The rest of the technology is like a fit bit — a motion sensor that can see each movement a shark makes.’
The footage is a revolutionary breakthrough in understanding how great whites navigate underwater foliage and how they interact with their surroundings. ‘We knew seals used kelp forests when sharks were present and sharks hung around them but we couldn’t see what was going on. But now we can see they go right inside and are actively looking for seals,’ Jewell said to Perth Now.
For the full journal article, click here.
Image source: Screenshot from Vimeo
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