Since the premiere of one of the scariest depictions of the great white shark in the movies, Jaws, they have become one of the most feared creatures in the planet. However, little do people know that the great white sharks may not be on top of the oceans predator's list. A new study suggests that these great predators are afraid of the killer whales. They make these sharks look like an average snack to a big ocean creature like them.
The findings of this recent study were published in the journal Nature. The scientists observe the behaviors of these sharks around the killer whales and they noticed how the great white sharks seem to move farther away at the site of the orcas. The sharks were observed while they were swimming by the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco. Not only were they seen fleeing away from the killer whales, but they actually cleared the area, not returning until the next season.
"When the great white sharks are confronted by the orcas, they immediately swim around away from their preferred hunting ground. The most amazing part is that they don't return to the area until after a year," said Salvador Jorgensen. He is the lead author of the study and a senior scientist from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
According to the scientists, each type of predator behaves differently, especially when they find themselves in the same vicinity. The great orcas usually feed upon elephant seals and when they do, the great white sharks gather together and decide to swim offshore. Some of them are also seen gathering together with the other colonies along the coastlines.
Scot Anderson, scientists also at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, said that the great white sharks that they have observed in the area are mature ones that grow as big as 18-feet long in length. The great white sharks are believed to grow up to 20-feet long weighing more than 4,000 pounds.
The study comparing the behavior of great white sharks to orcas have been based on the data collected from tracking tags. Scientists said that they have particularly chosen the area as reports say this is where the orcas and the white sharks usually cross paths. Such weird interactions between these two ocean greats have benefited the elephant seals. The reports based on the tracking devices show that the seals suffer four to seven times fewer attacks and deaths in the presence of the orcas.
"Scientists don't typically look at the risk concerning that role played by these predators against each other. This study looks at how the power play influences the deaths and survival in the ocean ecosystem," Jorgensen said. "It turns out that the risk is the same for predators as that of the prey. In fact, it was strong enough to redirect any of their hunting activities to areas where there is less the threat of the great killer whale."
