Scientists attach cameras to white sharks to observe how they hunt their prey

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Previously, it was thought that white sharks were too big to penetrate densely populated kelp forests in order to hunt their prey. Now, scientists who have attached cameras to a group of white sharks have observed the opposite behavior: these massive predators are able to maneuver in these narrow kelp areas to trap seals.

A team of scientists, including Dr. Oliver Jewell, a PhD student at Murdoch University, fixed a camera for eight sharks off the coast of South Africa and observed images of giant animals. The team, which published its findings in Biology Letters, discovered that sharks can cross large fronds and stipes and navigate through densely populated kelp forests to hunt their prey. According to Jewell, this type of hunting behavior has not been captured before by the camera.

"The film we collected gives us a new perspective on this species. We can see how they interact with their environment in real time, and they are able to make spectacular 180-degree turns in laminaria forest, "Jewell said in a press release from Murdoch University. "In the past, you had to guess. We would track the sharks up to the edge of the kelp forest, but we would lose the signal. "

To secure the cameras, the team had to attract white sharks to their boat. The team placed the chopped fish (chum) and seal lure in the water to attract them near the boat, so that they could use a device that looked like a fishing rod to secure a camera and a sensor of movement on their dorsal fins. These special tags were created to stay on the sharks for a few hours before being removed and collected on the surface.

A great white shark swimming in the water. (Photo credit: Skeeze / Pixabay)

Jewell stated that the images collected during the study showed only a small portion of the white shark's hunting behavior. Many Cape fur seals have also been observed swimming in the kelp forest located in the Dyer Island Marine Reserve. According to Newsweek, they used predator escape techniques, including bubbles and air bubbles. The 28 hours of filming did not shoot any kills in the dense kelp forest, however, seven sharks continued to move in thick kelp areas, while four sharks touched kelp fronds. The study showed how these animals traveled differently to hunt or hide in these narrow kelp forests.

The camera tags, designed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), could submerge more than 1,500 meters of water, and according to Dr. Salvador Jorgensen, -Student of the study and principal investigator at Monterey Bay Aquarium, some of these camera tags used to observe white sharks served as test models for future camera tags.

"We only touch the surface with this study – their behavior involves many layers. For over 15 years as we study them, it has become clear that white sharks are very versatile, "said Dr. Jorgensen. "They use very different habitats, ranging from deep diving in the middle of the oceans to" bushwhacking "through coastal kelp forests."

He added, "More research of this nature is needed to help better understand the oceanic resources used by this incredible species so that we can inform management and do more to ensure its survival."

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