Disappearance of Great White Sharks off Cape Town Sparks Scientific Dispute
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Apr 12
Disappearance of Great White Sharks off Cape Town Sparks Scientific Dispute
9 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Apr 12
Great white sharks have mysteriously disappeared from the waters around Cape Town, South Africa, sparking debate among scientists and conservationists.
Some experts blame orca predation, particularly by two orcas known as Port and Starboard, while others point to overfishing and lethal shark nets as key factors.
The loss of great whites raises concerns about marine ecosystem balance and highlights the urgent need for sustainable conservation measures in South Africa.
With the apex predator gone, what is the next ecological domino to fall in Cape Town's waters?
Have two specific orcas permanently rewired the behavior of an entire species in South African waters?
Is the 'orcas vs. humans' debate distracting from our responsibility to protect the entire marine ecosystem?
Why do lethal shark nets persist despite their questionable legality and proven non-lethal alternatives?
Can new technologies finally end the deadly conflict between protecting swimmers and saving endangered sharks?
How Orcas and Human Activities Caused the Near-Disappearance of Great White Sharks in False Bay
Overview
Since 2015, great white sharks in False Bay, South Africa, have dramatically declined, with their iconic breaching behavior disappearing by 2025 and no recovery through 2026. This decline is driven by orcas that hunt sharks by flipping them and extracting their nutrient-rich livers, causing sharks to avoid the area for long periods. Human impacts like fishing bycatch and environmental stress also weaken the population. The loss of this apex predator has led to a surge in Cape fur seals and sevengill sharks, which in turn increase predation on fish species and endangered African penguins. These changes have destabilized the ecosystem and caused the collapse of the local shark cage-diving industry.