Great White Shark Seen Feeding Near The Farallones - Shark Season Has Arrived!

Great White Sharks return to the Gulf of the Farallones to feed in late summer/ early fall with such regularity that biologists at Southeast Farallon Island are practically on a first name basis with quite a few of them. Well, at least the biologists have nicknames for them - we don’t know if the sharks can distinguish one PhD from another. Nevertheless, it is uncommon, even during shark season, to see a 15 foot Great White at the water’s surface devour an entire California Sea Lion.















On Sunday, September 2, 2007 SF Bay Whale Watching passengers witnessed just such a rare event, as a mature White Shark (biologists prefer to omit the “Great” - in the name, not as it pertains to their affection) shot up from the water’s depths, grabbed a previously killed sea lion in its jaws, and thrashed chunks of meat free using side to side motions, swallowing each bit whole.


That shark was doing exactly what it was designed to do, sustain itself with efficiency with a body adapted for the conditions and the task of survival.


According to information posted on Wikipedia the hunting techniques used by White Sharks for various prey differ. The behavior our passengers observed regarding the sea lion seems to fit: “When hunting Northern elephant seals off California, the shark immobilizes the prey with a large bite to the hindquarters(which is the main source of the seal's mobility) and waits for the seal to bleed to death. This technique is especially used on adults which are large and dangerous. Prey is normally attacked sub-surface. Harbour seals are simply grabbed from the surface and pulled down until they stop struggling. They are then eaten near the bottom. California sea lions are ambushed from below and struck in mid-body before being dragged and eaten.”
(Note rows of back-up teeth ready to replace front row teeth! Photo from Google Images.)


White Sharks are the world’s largest meat-eating fish, with females (larger than the males) growing to 20 - 22 feet and weighing over 4,000 pounds (average sizes may be more in the 10 - 16 foot, 1,500 - 2,450 pound range). That may be big, but I was still startled to learn that a pregnant female carries from 2 to 14 pups at a time, each around 5 feet long and weighing around 60 pounds apiece! All those pups look and behave like miniature adults as soon as they are born - off they go immediately, capable of hunting and self feeding.

With shark life spans of 20 years or more and many years of carefully documented sightings in the waters surrounding Southeast Farallon Island, the annual arrival of one of the neighborhood White Sharks is welcome news. For the biologists, the sharks are old friends. White Sharks are on the threatened species list so the seasonal appearance of any of the regulars is significant. So who did we see...was it Cuttail, Half Fin, Gouge, Betty, Bitehead, Spotty, Emma, Tipfin, Rasta, or the sentimental favorite - Cal Ripfin?

Photos by Ed Estes. Text by Kathleen Jacques.