Wildlife watchers in Western Australia were awe-struck to see the circle of life playing out right before their eyes when a tiger shark caught a turtle beside their boat.
Ningaloo Marine Interactions shared footage of the encounter (taken both by drone and from the boat) on Instagram with the title "an apex predator at full strength." In the caption, they described the event as “one of the most incredible moments we've documented”.
“Seeing a predation in the wild is extremely rare,” they say, “and being able to capture two entirely different perspectives is even rarer.”
In the drone video, a tiger shark repeatedly swims at full pelt towards a turtle. “Tiger sharks are turtles’ main predators but are also a cautious predator who size up their prey and the risk of injury well before actually attacking,” explains Frazer McGregor, co-owner and master skipper of Ningaloo Marine Interactions.
Desperately trying to evade the shark’s jaws, the turtle turns its back, using its tough shell to try to protect itself from the predator. “Turtles are feisty guys and whilst they use their shell as a type of shield,” explains McGregor, “[In] the first instance they are constantly manoeuvring around the shark to bite its tail which is quite sensitive.”
Sometimes this self-defence strategy works, he says: “We witness a lot of survival stories where the sharks simply give up.”
Sadly for the turtle, the shark reigned supreme this time. In the last shot – taken from the boat – the tiger breaks the surface and grasps the turtle in its jaws, pulling it under the water.
For Ningaloo Marine Encounters, this rare sight is a reminder that sharks are “extraordinary, highly evolved apex predators” that “deserve the same respect we give land predators.” This doesn’t mean demonising them or trying to position them as adorable, puppy-like creatures.
“While they aren't ‘cute’ they are not monsters either,” they say. “They are a brilliant species, who have been around for thousands of years. Who now, more than ever, need our help and our respect.”
Image and video credit: Frazer McGregor, Ningaloo Marine Interactions
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