Cape Fur Seals and Great White Sharks

In False Bay, not far from Cape Town city lies a small island called Seal Island, which is home to about 64,000 Cape Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus). The pups are born in early November and are dependent on their mother’s milk for 9 months, during which time they build up enormous fat reserves to sustain them when they take to the sea and have to learn to feed for themselves.

Around about now is the time that theses young inexperienced seals begin to leave the island on feeding forays. And this is when the Great White Sharks  (Carcharodon carcharias) come to the island to feed on these succulent youngsters. When hunting seals at this location, the Sharks regularly attack at such great speeds that they launch themselves out of the water.

This incredible photograph was taking by “Great Guide” Chris Fallows on one of his amazing shark trips. Chris and Monique and Poenas have a remarkable understanding of the ecology of False Bay and operate the best and most educational shark adventures in False Bay, Cape Town. If you are in Cape Town at this time of year let us know and we will gladly arrange for you to go on the trip of a lifetime, to look for Great White Sharks.