NANTUCKET, Mass. – A new study has revealed something shark conservationists have never achieved: direct observations of dusky sharks hunting and preying on gray seals.
Aerial video taken by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) in July 2023 showed a seal being attacked and eaten by preying dusky sharks off the coast of Nantucket.
Scientists from the AWSC, in conjunction with the New England Aquarium and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, captured the video after numerous reports of sharks attacking seals off the coast of Great Point Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge.
Initial reports blamed the attack on white sharks, which have increased off the coast of Massachusetts over the last 15 years, but further analysis of photos and videos proved they were actually dusky sharks.
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Before the aerial footage revealed the dusky sharks’ behavior toward seals, it wasn’t known that dusky sharks preyed on seals, the AWSC said.
“Though the observations we’re reporting are preliminary, they have changed our understanding of the feeding ecology of dusky sharks, which are considered endangered on a global scale, as well as predatory interactions between sharks and seals in the waters off Massachusetts,” said Dr. Megan Winton, senior scientist at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and lead author of the study.
In the aerial video, a group of dusky sharks swim around shallow waters off Nantucket.
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Photo shows a dusky shark chasing a grey seal off the coast of Nantucket in July 2023.
(Atlantic White Shark Conservancy / FOX Weather)
A small gray seal can be seen attempting to swim away from one of the sharks who was hunting it. The other sharks lingered around, waiting as the dusky shark chased the seal.
After a few moments of pursuit, the shark pounced on the seal with a splash.
The seal didn’t stand a chance as blood arose from the water, and other sharks swam a little closer to get a piece of the kill.
“This footage provides us valuable insight into understanding the behavior of a shark species that experienced steep population declines in the mid-20th century but now seems to be recovering and reassuming an important ecological role,” said Winston.
The study said Cape Cod is the northernmost point of the dusky shark’s range in summer in the North Atlantic, but not much is known about the sharks’ distribution and habitat use in the area.
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Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus).
(HUM Images/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
“These incredible observations, a first for this species, raise important questions about how these predators may impact both wildlife management and public safety as they return to their historic habitats,” said study co-author Dr. Gregory Skomal, Senior Fisheries Biologist at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and Director of the Massachusetts Shark Research Program.
Given the lack of long-term data, it is impossible to know for certain if large dusky sharks preyed on gray seals in this area historically. However, it seems likely in light of the observations found in the video, the study said.
To learn more about the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and their work to advance shark research, conservation and public safety, please visit their website.
