Great white shark spotted in False Bay, South Africa, after eight-year absence — Daily Maverick

A juvenile great white shark was spotted in False Bay, South Africa, on September 23. The animal was seen north of Seal Island by clients and the team of African Shark Eco-Charters, which runs licensed shark-watching excursions from Simon’s Town.

As Daily Maverick reports, there had previously been isolated reports of great white sharks appearing in the bay. At the same time, representatives of African Shark Eco-Charters said their team had not seen these animals in False Bay for eight years. Rob Lawrence of the company called the appearance of the juvenile a surprise, but stressed that it is still too early to consider the situation in the area to have returned to normal.

Reaction to the sighting

During the sighting, the shark took bait attached to a hookless line, allowing it to swim away on its own. Whale-watching tour operator Dave Hurwitz said that news of a great white shark appearing after a prolonged absence had generated considerable interest. According to him, companies organizing shark diving also hope to see adult sharks in the bay, which previously hunted seals there regularly, mainly in summer.

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Possible reasons for the disappearance

The exact reasons for the disappearance of great white sharks from False Bay remain unclear. Factors linked to this in the report include orca predation, the impact of local fishing, and sharks being caught in nets intended to protect bathers off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

Researchers Alison Kock and Alison Towner previously reported that two orcas, known as Port and Starboard, had displaced great white sharks from their traditional aggregation sites near the Western Cape. In 2017, five great white shark carcasses with characteristic wounds and without livers were found on beaches near Gansbaai. According to the study, after cases of orca predation, the absence of white sharks in the area lasted longer, while their ecological niche was occupied by bronze whaler sharks.

Karen Lawrence, head of African Shark Eco-Charters, stressed that the sighting of one juvenile does not mean great white sharks have returned to False Bay permanently.