14 DAY TRIAL // We like to think of seals as innocent creatures that spend their days swimming around, eating fish and looking all cute and cuddly. As it turns out, there is a very dark side to these ocean dwellers.
According to wildlife researchers, it sometimes happens that fur seals populating the waters off the coast of South Africa attack sharks, kill them and then feed on them.
As if this piece of news weren't disturbing enough on its own, specialists who have had the chance to witness such murders say the seals typically only eat the sharks' entrails and then abandon the carcass.
It is believed that the marine mammals prefer to eat their victims' guts because, when compared to the rest of the body, they pack more energy. Still, this is yet to be confirmed.
Mind you, these seals in South Africa's waters don't attack just any shark they cross paths with. Instead, they only eat blue sharks, which are about as big as they are and therefore a fairly easy kill.
Specialists suspect that the seals don't attack and kill blue sharks because they are hungry and can't think of anything more delicious to eat than these predator's entrails.
Instead, it is said that, by turning against these predators that they share their natural habitat with, the marine mammals are simply trying to eliminate competition for their usual food, i.e. fish.
“The consumption of large sharks by a Cape fur seal is a departure from the prevalent view of this species’ diet,” pointed out marine biologist Neil Hammerschlaf, as cited by DM.
