A potential predation attempt by a great white shark on an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin

摘要

A live Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) with two bite wounds resulting from a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) encounter was observed from the commercial whale-watching vessel, Whale Whisperer, in Gansbaai on 23 and 24 August 2006. The most severe wound was to the dolphin's left flank area, the other to the anterior portion of its dorsal 'hump'. This is the first documented interaction and potential predatory shark attack on any cetacean species in Gansbaai, and is evidence that large great white sharks may opportunistically hunt humpback dolphins in this region of South Africa.