Mossel Bay sharks 'eating one another'

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - It's the National Geographic Wild annual Sharkfest on television this month.

The first day of the fest, Saturday 1 July, started with a show filmed near Seal Island, off Dias Beach at Mossel Bay, and with the news that sharks are eating one another.

It is not sharks eating seals or killer whales eating sharks, but sharks eating sharks.

Also National Geographic Wild did a short film on a Mossel Bay scientist, Sophu Qoma, as part of Sharkfest. Watch this at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=plIMiwK632w.

In a media release National Geographic Wild noted: "Around the world, reports of shark-on-shark attacks are increasing. Now scientists have a new theory on what makes up most of the great white shark's diet, and it's not seals."

'Ground-breaking investigation'

The media release notes: "In the ground-breaking investigation off Seal Island, scientists Enrico Gennari and Lacey Williams led a team of experts, capturing conclusive evidence of sharks eating sharks."

Shark Eat Shark premiered on 1 July at 18:45 on National Geographic Wild (DStv 182, Starsat 221).

The programme was described thus: "Gennari and Williams embark on a factual voyage with the help of Neil Hammerschlag to solve a predator-prey mystery, by casting a wide net of scientific experiments across the bay.

"The pair use camera tags and baited remote underwater vehicles (or BRUVs), skin samples and more, to try to capture concrete evidence that sharks are preying on other sharks."

Repeats of Mossel Bay segment:

Today, Friday, 7 July, at 18:45
Tomorrow, Saturday, 8 July, at 12:25

The short film on Qoma is titled, Breaking the surface: diversity in the ocean and marine ecosystem.

This film follows her research of great white sharks.

Additional shark-focused programming is available across Disney+ throughout July, with plenty of awe-inspiring moments to enjoy and inspire.

National Geographic's Sharkfest hub, natgeo.com/sharkfest, will be updated throughout the month to include enhanced content about sharks, including facts, photos and videos, quizzes and more.

Sophu Qoma