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salient footage capture off the southern sea-coast of Africa shows a huge band of seals swarming and driving off agreat white shark . The scene boast in the first sequence of the newfangled documentary serial " Planet Earth III . "
South African pelt Navy SEAL ( Arctocephalus pusillus ) feast on massive shoals of fish that pile up in nutrient - copious coastal waters . In the three - minute - recollective clip narrate by naturalist and presenter David Attenborough , a herd of seal clambers down jagged cliffs to attain the water and dives below the waves in lookup of food .
A large group of seals fend off a great white shark near the southern coast of Africa.
But in late twelvemonth , water off the southern glide of Africa have also attract unprecedented numbers of seal - huntinggreat white sharks(Carcharodon carcharias ) — up to a twelve at a prison term on this fussy stretch of coastline . The snip shows the not bad white sharks prowling clear amniotic fluid of the Robberg Peninsula . The footage highlight just how fast these predators can speed up to ambuscade their prey , reaching top speed with just five swipe of their tails . But it also shows how the seal are fighting back .
" Over the past two decades there has been an increased frequency of sightings of great white sharks in the arena , likely as a result of the growing seal colony , but also peradventure other divisor that we ’re still trying to understand , " Georgina Ward , the associate manufacturer on the " Coasts " episode who lead the seals versus great ashen shark sequence , recount Live Science via email .
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airy footage in the cartridge holder shows the sharks skirting the tough cliff edge and drive the seals nearer to the rocks , cornering them to make for an wanton catch .
As one slap-up white moves in for the kill , however , dozens of seals gather behind the shark and chase after it back out to ocean . More and more seal approach the shark from all sides and fall in the crime syndicate , finally drive the huge predator away .
" To see such a enceinte and competent marauder completely overwhelmed by its prey and swimming off into deeper waters [ is ] both incredible and surprising , " Ward said . " It ’s not how you ’d expect a shark - seal encounter to go . Very now and then you ’d get one shark that just would n’t give up and we ’d watch and film it for 10 to 15 minute just get up and down the cliff with a swarm of seals in tow . But most of the prison term once mobbing started , they did n’t hang around . "
Fur seal mobbing has been see and studied in other parts of the earth — but not with the intensity level and consistency see at Robberg Peninsula , Ward said .
" Until recently nobody had canvas the mobbing behavior here , so it ’s hard to know exactly how long this universe of seal has been doing it , " Ward said , adding an adult male was first visit mobbing a outstanding blanched shark in the field in 2000 .
The mobbing behaviour is an aggressive form of defense use throughout the animal globe . " Sharks are trap hunters , preferring to pilfer up on their quarry , usually from below . Most of the time the stamp start mobbing the shark before it ’s even attempt to predate them , mean the shark lose the component of surprise , " Ward said .
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Researchers still are n’t sure exactly why this proficiency is effective . " Do the shark give up because they know the seal can now all see them ? Are the seals doing more to annoy them when they are in a ring , " such as seize with teeth or making sound ? " There ’s still so much we do n’t get laid about these interactions , " Ward say .
" Planet Earth III " will be available to watch from Nov. 4 at 8 pm ET / PT on BBC America and AMC+ .
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