Great white sharks have largely vanished from their traditional hotspot in Gansbaai, South Africa, a region once known as the shark diving capital of the world. Research and tracking suggest the primary cause is the arrival of a pair of orcas, known as Port and Starboard, who have been documented hunting the sharks. By specifically targeting the sharks’ nutrient-rich livers, the orcas have driven the local great white population to flee the area in search of safer waters. This sudden displacement has significantly impacted the local tourism industry and altered the coastal marine ecosystem.
- Gansbaai, South Africa, formerly a premier location for great white shark sightings, has experienced a total disappearance of the species from its waters.
- The shift began in 2017 following the arrival of two male orcas that specialized in hunting large sharks.
- The orcas were found to use surgical precision to remove the sharks’ livers, which are high in squalene and provide a dense source of energy.
- Electronic tracking data confirmed that surviving great white sharks fled the area almost immediately after the initial predatory attacks occurred.
- Great white populations have since been spotted in larger numbers further east along the coast, specifically around Mossel Bay.
- The absence of these apex predators has allowed other species, such as copper sharks, to move into and dominate the abandoned territories.
- Local cage-diving businesses, which once relied on consistent shark sightings for tourism, have faced severe economic challenges due to the sudden migration.
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Original video here.
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What’s even crazier Anderson cooper said in an interview that won’t eat waffles but will jump in the ocean with blood thirsty sharks 🤷🏾♀️🤣
When orcas move in, the neighbourhood goes downhill!
One word. Flake. It's s not the orca. We have no one patrolling our waters. Illegal fishing is what caused this
ORCA KILLER WHALES😂 Eveybody knows but these scientists are so SLOW! I knew without even watching this video. Get him Willy!!! 🦈
This not even 60 mins long
I spent years exploiting sharks now I can exploit them anymore and now I'm sad…I dont want to watch reporters go on vacation anymore, loose accountability for the war on terror and building 7 you all belong in jail, media let gaza and iran happen, poltics for the new special character to take office while you left our military in the dessert for 25 years 25 year a fruad green movement where those 15 foot ocean levels rising 30 year later nothing happened, jail jail jail.
The sheer power, intelligence, and hunting tactics of Orca's is impressive.
Good! I hate sharks!
Top notch video ! As a Cape Town resident and a avid diver myself I can confirm that it’s the Fishing industry that is the biggest culprit.
This is not the reason they disappeared. We can’t blame Orcas. Or even the Chinese. It’s because of local companies given a licence by our government to long line in our waters !!!! It has decimated the population. And to lesser extent the draconian practices of Natal shark board of shark nets
I would put my money on Dr Kock's reasoning…. while I'm sure those other factors play a part, they have been around for a long time and the Great Whites have been there regardless. Plus shark nets are used on the east coast of South Africa, not the west coast. I think the orcas definitely played a role in making the Great Whites scarce. Its the only thing that makes sense.
Trump did it…
They say orcas are like the wolves of the sea and there smart in alot of ways they eat the livers of the sharks
The moved to cape cod
Likely loss of food source
Trump's fault.
That shark in the thumbnail pic is Hella cute! Look at that face!
The circle ⭕️ of life. Don’t mess with it.
Overfishing, and shark prevention has done it, not orcas
Amazing how Anderson Cooper can go diving then come out of the water with perfectly combed dry hair. He really does belong on fake news channel CNN. 🤣😂
How does he know they have been doing it for hundreds of thousands of years?
At first, I thought the video was about the Boers.
I spear in False Bay Cape Town weekly.
Over the last 4 years, I have only seen 1 white shark in False Bay, just off the Light House, close to Fishoek.
The white was spotted the next day in the same area, when it took a fish off a fisherman's line.
2 days later, port and starboard were filmed in Kalk Bay Harbour.
After that, there were no more sightings of the great white.
I feel there is definitely a connection between the orcas and the white sharks.
I also feel that our shark population being decimated, so that the Aussies can have flake and chips, is ridiculous.
Let's hope the white sharks goes instinct in SA so we can swim and surf safely. Who needs those fish anyway, good riddance.
ORCAS. Don't need to watch 60 minutes to know that.
Orca’s “Port and Starboard,” go after the great white sharks in the water to stun them and eat their kidneys for the squalene. Squalene is a necessary lipid for the orcas.
Orca s are the apex predators
It's pronounced, "Cook."
Don't worry, we'll clean it up in post-production.
Unless the South African government get something tangible for doing something, they literally don't care. People can be murdered, animals can go extinct, they don't care and most of the time they are implicit. They have no regard for anything besides money and themselves.
We killed them all, like we do with everything else.
White sharks just have to go deep the orcas can't fallow
orcas have hunted sharks since ever as they are part of the food chain, they would not wipe out or displace an entire population ,Only humans cause these events.
Shame the hack Anderson narrated ruined it 😮
Protein
White shark's aren't the A PEX predator
Bite marks of a great whites dorsal fin isnt human? Really? Are you sure there arent humans swimming around attack and biting great white dorsal fins. And way to go again cnn this is super old news.
Cool story. I've noticed over decades that no reporter inserts shots of himself more than Anderson Cooper. I'd rather see the sharks and killer whales.
They all moved to Cape Cod !