An estimated 10-foot great white shark was spotted feeding on a harbor seal carcass Tuesday off La Jolla, by passengers aboard the Privateer out of San Diego Whale Watch.
Naturalist Melissa Panfili Galieti, whose image and video footage accompany this post, said the sighting was 4.5 miles offshore and that the seal was headless when the vessel arrived.
"We watched it for about 20 minutes until it completely consumed the dead seal and swam down," Galieti said via Facebook.
Last Thursday a white shark of about the same size was spotted off Dana Point. That shark had a tag at the base of its dorsal fin.
White sharks utilize Southern California and Baja California coastal waters as feeding areas and prey mostly on fish, skates and rays. After they reach 10-12 feet they begin targeting seals and sea lions.
I'm curious as to how many days on the water these "experts" actually spend. Having grown up in a family spends any chance on the water fishing I have probably experienced more sharks in the wild than most of these "experts". That is a shortfin mako. If you have to even question it, chances are it's not a great white shark. These are the same people saying great white sharks are endangered when they are everywhere. You just don't have enough ocean experience. There is no problem with a lack of experience. I would recommend spending some time just being on a boat and watching the ocean and everything in it and not spending every minute trying to control it.
Posted by: Kevin J. | Oct 10, 2012 at 06:14 PM
Unbeleivable! Makos only feed on fish. Typical of the academic community, they're "experts" who don't have any experience. Listen up sugar britches that is a shortfin mako and they eat pinipeds...regularly. There is a video of one eating a sea lion off Catalina online. As Quint said, "don't you tell me my business Hooper".
Posted by: M. Jansen | Oct 09, 2012 at 05:25 PM
For that length, you're right, the girth is just off for a White shark. It is a Mako.
Anyone that thinks Makos don't opportunistically scavenge pinnipeds, et al., probably believes that White shark diets irrevocably "shift" to pinnipeds at some point, as if, in the end, an apex predator is not defined by realizing predation events as the opportunity allows and metabolic need appoints.
And that is why they are man eaters. There is no such thing as 'mistaken identity' to a White shark, a Hyena or a Crocodile.
Posted by: drudown | Oct 08, 2012 at 01:29 PM
The shape of the nose and coloration are wrong for this to be a Great White. It looks like a short fin Mako to me. Yes, large Mako's eat Seals, Dolphins, Squid, and fish. The girth is wrong for GWS as well. Very cool video.
Posted by: Emmedio | Oct 08, 2012 at 03:36 AM
Close one. It looks like a malnourished White shark to me that may be scavenging. The snout looks somewhat more conical like a Mako at the end of the video but I think that is just an optical illusion from the water. Moreover, while its lack of girth makes it look like a Mako, I wouldn't be surprised if this individual White shark is just learrning how to catch and consume pinnipeds. Perhaps this was one of its only recent successes. Cool vid either way.
Posted by: drudown | Oct 07, 2012 at 04:05 PM
I don't know what everyone is smoking, but as a practicing Marine Biologist out of Woods Hole, MA, who specializes in the GWS off the coast of Cape Cod, I can pretty much guarantee that this is a GWS - look at the rest of the pictures the naturalist snapped, check out the teeth and even the distinct feeding behavior. These pictures and video are not the best, but on their facebook page, you can clearly see the difference.
Posted by: Eddie | Oct 07, 2012 at 06:22 AM
Mako... 100%. Either way, I love seeing one less fish-robbing dog in the ocean! We need more seal-eating makos like that out there.
Posted by: Captain - 'Mako-Wish' | Oct 05, 2012 at 10:41 PM
Whether a white shark or a mako, it's a very cool sighting. Thanks Melissa for sharing the image and video.
Posted by: Pete Thomas | Oct 05, 2012 at 10:28 PM
I appreciate healthy debates, not rude comments. I would NEVER try to pass of a species as something just for notoriety. If it is a mako, it is still just as awesome. Please only comment if you have something nice/helpful to say. Thanks everyone! :D
Posted by: Melissa Galieti | Oct 05, 2012 at 10:14 PM
Mako...not even close to a GWS
Posted by: Jason Naviello | Oct 05, 2012 at 04:05 PM
Hi Melissa, Would love to see the other photos you shot. What a cool thing you got to record! Looking at the one photo and the video currently posted, I am leaning towards shortfin mako shark. Also it is not rare at all for a 10 foot mako to eat seals, dolphin, etc. From the large mako sharks caught in our area, it is about all I have seen in the stomach contents. Not so much fish at all at least from what I have seen at the docks. Thanks for sharing your video and photo! Cool stuff!
Posted by: frank nielsen | Oct 05, 2012 at 12:24 PM
As someone who has seen both sharks in person, that is a MAKO.
Large makos have been known to kill and eat seals.
Posted by: Facbook | Oct 05, 2012 at 11:57 AM
I have commercial fished out of san pedro ca for over 25 years I hate to spoil your video but thats a shortfin mako shark and they dont just eat fish they eat whales ,seals ,large humbolt squid
and the occational porpise.It always amazes me how the so called
experts cant identify sharks and fish properly but I guess it is
cooler to tell people its a white shark.
Posted by: DAN | Oct 05, 2012 at 11:11 AM
You most be correct, Makos only eat fish...
http://www.savethebluefin.com/profiles/blogs/video-mako-shark-maims-amp
Posted by: Rob | Oct 05, 2012 at 07:12 AM
Not a mako. In several of the other photos the difference is clear, including teeth. Also, makos almost strictly feed on fish. :)
Posted by: Melissa Galieti | Oct 03, 2012 at 10:19 PM
Stop the video at 0:15 and take a look. Looks like a shortfin mako to me.
Posted by: frank nielsen | Oct 03, 2012 at 09:33 AM
Looks like a Shortfin Mako Shark.
Posted by: frank nielsen | Oct 03, 2012 at 09:18 AM