Following the Unbiased’s contemporary dolphin-watching revel in at the Condor Categorical, the Condor’s personnel photographer shared a mind-blowing account of seeing one nice white shark and one (deceased) Northern elephant seal.
That unfortunate seal was once the shark’s lunch, and passengers were given a entrance row seat to the buffet.
“The Channel was once glassy and skies had been overcast till 2 p.m. when some sunny spots started to open,” described Condor photographer Bob Perry. “Captain Dave and the team searched the a long way western Channel, between Gaviota and Platform Hondo.”
All over the cruise on August 30 (the day following the Indy’s), they noticed round 4,000 commonplace dolphins and 20 California sea lions. However the boat was once tipped off within the afternoon to the true display going on at some within reach coordinates, supplied by means of their fellow whale gazing boat Velella.
The website online was once “an lively feeding spot, which featured a big male Northern elephant seal being fed upon by means of an similarly massive nice white shark,” Perry mentioned.
An ideal white taking a chew out of an elephant seal carcass noticed at the Condor Categorical on August 30. | Credit score: Bob Perry for the Condor Categorical
“The shark was once no longer at the seal once we arrived, however returned to feed inside 10 mins. It left a 2nd time, for roughly 10 extra mins, and once more attacked the seal carcass,” he defined. “We had been extremely on the subject of the motion because of the in depth talents of Captain Dave, himself an area white shark knowledgeable.”
In recent times, researchers have recognized Southern Santa Barbara County, particularly round Carpinteria, as a nursery for juvenile nice white sharks. Whilst patterns differ, observers have reported as many as 61 juvenile nice white sharks within the house.
Research point out that someplace between 200 to 300 white sharks reside off the coast of Central California and that the whole selection of grownup and near-adult nice white sharks within the northeast Pacific may well be between 400 to 500.
Perry mentioned that once processing the pictures, he came upon the Condor’s shark had a satellite tv for pc monitoring tag bolted to its dorsal fin. The tags are a part of ongoing analysis by means of Dr. Michael Domeier and Keith Poe from the Marine Conservation Science Institute in Hawai’i, which has tracked and studied white shark migrations for years. Then again, the Condor’s shark didn’t floor for lengthy sufficient to be picked up by means of a satellite tv for pc, so that they have no idea its ID.
“You by no means know what Mom Nature has in retailer,” Perry added.
An ideal white surfacing out of the water close to the Condor Categorical, obviously marked by means of blood and scars. | Credit score: Bob Perry for the Condor Categorical
