When many people think of sharks, they imagine mindless creatures patrolling the ocean in search of anything to eat. They’re one of the world’s most well-known predators, and the species has been around for millions of years. It’s difficult to imagine such an animal being afraid of anything. So what are sharks actually afraid of?
Videos by Outdoors
Despite their countless teeth and the ability to easily detect blood, there is a predator in the sea that sits at the very top: the orca.
Recently, a diver and underwater photographer captured an amazing video.
Take a look:
It shows several hammerhead sharks acting nervously, but what’s causing their fear isn’t immediately clear. The sharks quickly swim by, and the diver, Sam Bower, keeps his head on a swivel, trying to see what’s making them so uneasy.
A moment later, an orca comes into view.
“This was the most insane dive! I knew the hammerhead sharks were acting erratically, but I didn’t know why until,” wrote Bower on his post. “While embarrassing, my yelling was a desperate attempt to get my friends to see what I was seeing.”
As Bower points out, the special moment was a unique sighting. However, it’s not uncommon for orcas, also known as killer whales, to hunt sharks.
What are sharks afraid of?
Research shows that sharks are, in fact, afraid of orcas. According to a study published in Nature Scientific Reports, a research scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and his colleagues witnessed this on multiple occasions. The study specifically involves great white sharks.
In their research, they found that sharks aren’t afraid of much, especially when food is nearby. That changes dramatically, however, when a pod of orcas appears.
In one study, several sharks were tagged near Farallon Island so researchers could track them. When orcas entered the area, even just for a few hours, the sharks would leave the area and not return that season.
