White sharks hunt as mass killers

The giant assassin under the ocean did not attack the prey randomly. They always choose the target from before and follow the prey before attacking.

White sharks surfaced to catch the baby seal at False Bay, South Africa.Photo: AP.

Great white sharks are predators that live in coastal areas throughout the oceans. With a length of up to 6 meters and weighing an average of 2 tons, they are the largest predatory fish between marine larvae.

Neil Hammerschlag, a scientist at Miami University (USA) tracks 340 great white sharks as they attack seals near an island in South Africa. He found that they often track prey from a distance not too close but not too far away. In addition, white sharks can learn from previous predators.

'White sharks are not waiting for prey to appear randomly. They choose their goals first and apply many tactics to pursue that goal , 'Hammerschlag said.

White sharks focus only on the prey they choose (usually young and single). They always swim about 90 meters away from the target. The distance is close enough to observe the prey, but far enough away for them to be detected. White sharks attack when targets reach dark areas or have little light. They often act when there are no other white sharks around to compete.

The goal is the biggest difference between white sharks and mass killers. White sharks kill prey to survive, and mass murderers kill people to satisfy their animality. However, both choose and follow the goal before acting.

Hammerschlag found that the older white sharks were more clever than the younger ones in hiding. This proves that they know how to draw from previous hunting efforts.

Many terrestrial animals (like lions and leopards) also have tactics in hunting. They always choose prey and follow only the chosen target. Hammerschlag also said that tracking such behavior in terrestrial animals is much easier than underwater animals.