Great white sharks are some of the most captivating marine animals on Earth and are usually known for being prolific hunters who rule oceanic waters. Their reputation is not unfounded, as they are adapted for speed, power, and a merciless hunting technique.
However, recent research off the coast of South Africa has shown some startling events – great whites are avoiding the country’s coasts and it’s because of two relentless hunters that are coming out on top.
Unexpected Hunters
The unexpected hunters that are scaring off the kings of the ocean are two orcas named that have been named Port and Starboard. While pop culture makes many believe that orcas, or killer whales, are playful and friendly, in reality they are killing machines, using their intellect to coordinate ambitious hunts.
Areas that great whites once flourished in are now declining all because of these animals. Great whites are learning that they aren’t to be messed with, and are avoiding these regions.
Research
The discovery was made after researchers noticed that there was a decline of great white sharks in specific coastal areas. They looked into this by leveraging satellite tracking and underwater cameras.
This research confirmed that the great whites were gone where there was a higher presence of orcas. This showcased that they had abandoned their own territory whenever orcas arrived.
The Power Of Fear
While orcas are a dominant hunter in their own right, they do not completely overwhelm great whites in every encounter. However, there’s a psychological component to it, and the sharks have seen what the orcas are capable of and are choosing to avoid the same waters for fear of conflict.
Orcas can be formidable when hunting in groups and target the great whites for their livers, which make a nutrient-rich meal.
Impacts On The Ecosystem
With great whites being driven away from coastal waters by orcas, a gap is left in the ecosystem which the killer whales cannot fill. Popular prey of great whites like seals will remain unchecked and increase in population dramatically. This will have an impact on local fish, as seals overhunt them.
This domino effect showcases how important every part of the food chain is, including ones normally at the top.
Orca’s Strategy
Orcas use their intelligence to their advantage and form complex strategies with their pod to both hunt and communicate. This results in deadly, efficient hunts on even great whites that are caught by surprise.
Great whites are typically outnumbered as they are solitary hunters, meaning the odds are stacked against them. The sheer, overwhelming nature of a coordinated pod is enough to keep the sharks away.
A Retreat
Great whites are intelligent in their own right and know their likelihood of coming out on top against even two coordinated orcas like Port and Starboard.
While many may think this is a cowardly retreat, it is a way to ensure that the great whites continue to survive, even if they are giving up some of the most valuable territory. The orcas may move on, which would allow the sharks to come back.
Long Term Consequences
This isn’t the first time that great whites have strayed away from waters that orcas have started muscling into. There have been documented reports of the sharks leaving their own territory for months or even years, waiting for the orcas out before returning.
This absence when prolonged has drastic impacts on marine ecosystems, and can even have long term consequences as it falls out of balance.
Conservation effort
Great whites are seen as kings of the ocean, and perhaps they still are. But just as a well-planned revolution can topple kingdoms, the coordinated orcas seem to have the upper hand for now.
Strategy and intelligence are winning out above sheer strength and ferocity as the ocean’s food chain becomes more complex than many once believed.
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