Air Jaws by Hannah

Air Jaws

By Hannah Shallcrass

Vicious great white sharks hunt cape fur seals in waters around Seal Island in Cape Town, South Africa. Great whites can breach up to 2 metres out of the water. This is the only place where they breach.

False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa is where Seal Island is the home to 60,000 cape fur seals and South African penguins. Great whites also live around Seal Island but they hunt 400 yards out of the island which is known as the “ring of death”. The “ring of death” is where great whites surround the island awaiting the prey.

An “air jaws” shark mainly feeds on food around Seal Island. These sharks will feed on dozens of seals, penguins, and dead sea birds. They will also feed on other food such as whales devouring the meat at 35-40 pounds or more per bite.

An “air jaws” shark is highly manoeuvrable for how big it is. The shark would swim in the murky water of the ocean. A larger shark has priority so when a smaller shark is going to attack the larger shark can take over. When a seal or any other prey comes along the shark would swim at an angle of either parallel, and vertical or any other trajectory depending on where it is. The shark would swim at full speed toward the prey and breech. The shark is not always successful, when it is not it will go back and may have another attempt.

The seals will leave Seal Island in larger groups and will come back in smaller groups. Some lucky seals are well adapted to the habitat and know how things work around Seal Island. When the sharks have a feeding frenzy they become intoxicated after 2 hours of non-stop feeding. Some seals make fearless runs through the ring of death to make an escape. As the seasons change from winter to spring the air jaws abandon the island.

Air Jaws well known as great whites are amazing creatures as they have adapted to their environment and will continue to do so.