1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,200 ♪ ♪ 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:10,760 NARRATOR: The great white shark! 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,200 Focus. 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,840 Power. 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,320 Purpose. 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,680 Seals are their usual prey of choice. 9 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,720 But what about something bigger? 10 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:37,520 Much bigger. 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,720 ♪ ♪ 12 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,240 (whale blows) 13 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,400 ♪ ♪ 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,960 South Africa's coast is shark infested. 15 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:07,400 ♪ ♪ 16 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,560 Massive tigers. 17 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:15,760 ♪ ♪ 18 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,280 Marauding bulls. 19 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,560 And gangs of blacktips. 20 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,360 They're all here. 21 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,360 It's a predator's playground. 22 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:47,080 Roughly two million seals live at the southern tip of Africa, 23 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,640 which is why one of the highest concentrations of great whites 24 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,640 on the planet hunt these waters. 25 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,320 Other giants are here, too. 26 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,120 It's the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. 27 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,600 Great pods of humpback whales like this are heading north. 28 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,280 For four months, 29 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,240 they fed on nutritious krill off Antarctica, 30 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,440 building up blubber reserves for this journey. 31 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:28,200 Over 30,000 humpbacks make this annual migration. 32 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,440 Their destination, Mozambique, 33 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,480 to give birth to their calves in warm tropical waters. 34 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,920 The ocean off southern Africa is too cold for baby whales. 35 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,280 It's dangerous, too. 36 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,520 ♪ ♪ 37 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,440 Great white sharks dominate these southern waters. 38 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:03,400 The humpback migration routes 39 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,560 take them right through white shark territory. 40 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:12,160 ♪ ♪ 41 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,520 So what happens when humpback whales and white sharks 42 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,800 run into each other? 43 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:27,760 RYAN JOHNSON: Wow. 44 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:29,240 Away from the boat, away from the boat, away from the boat. 45 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:30,720 There we go. 46 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,480 NARRATOR: Ryan Johnson is a shark scientist 47 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,880 based in Mossel Bay, South Africa. 48 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,280 He's been studying the white shark population here 49 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,360 for over 20 years. 50 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,000 RYAN: Whoa, there we go! 51 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,040 Oh, she went for it! 52 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,960 NARRATOR: In February 2017 he was flying his drone 53 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,600 during a shark survey when the phone rang. 54 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:51,960 RYAN: The phone call came in 55 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,000 from the National Sea Rescue Institute 56 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,120 that they had been alerted that there was a whale out at sea. 57 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:05,840 ♪ ♪ 58 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:10,080 It looked like it had been wrapped up in longline. 59 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,080 NARRATOR: The whale wasn't moving. 60 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:14,680 Was it dead? 61 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:21,680 ♪ ♪ 62 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:23,800 RYAN: And then the whale breathed and it blew, 63 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,440 and I realized that this whale was still alive. 64 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,120 (whale blows) 65 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,800 NARRATOR: Then, Ryan saw something else. 66 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:39,760 ♪ ♪ 67 00:04:39,840 --> 00:04:42,280 A 14-foot great white shark 68 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,720 headed straight for the young whale. 69 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,280 ♪ ♪ 70 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,680 And it did the unexpected. 71 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:01,800 ♪ ♪ 72 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:03,840 It attacked. 73 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:09,760 RYAN: I know the science and I know the literature, 74 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:14,480 and I know this has never been seen before. 75 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,760 NARRATOR: It bit the tail, 76 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:19,880 then it rolled the weakened whale 77 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:24,200 as if trying to drown it. 78 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:27,120 This was not some random meeting. 79 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:31,480 It was a methodical attack on a whale by a great white shark. 80 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,520 A shark that seemed to know just what to do. 81 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,760 Ryan is the first person ever to witness this shark behavior. 82 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:49,040 He played the drone footage over and over 83 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,240 and suddenly recognized the shark. 84 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,880 He tagged her for research back in 2012. 85 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,440 Her name is Helen. 86 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,480 RYAN: Dorsal fin came up out of the water, 87 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,400 and you could clearly see the satellite tag remnants on her, 88 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:11,520 plus that distinctive dorsal fin. 89 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:16,960 Now that she is that shark that hunted a humpback whale, 90 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,680 a living humpback whale, she has sort of marked her place 91 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,520 in the sharks' hall of fame forever, 92 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,280 and she's always gonna be remembered for that. 93 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,200 NARRATOR: Ryan had serious questions. 94 00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:34,360 Is this shark attack a one-time-only event, 95 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,600 or do white sharks really hunt living whales 96 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,400 and we just never see it? 97 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:46,680 To get some answers, Ryan decides to dig deeper. 98 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:48,280 He sets off to follow 99 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,760 the 4,000-mile migration route of the humpbacks. 100 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:58,000 Are there specific places where white sharks ambush the whales? 101 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,480 Do attacks follow a pattern? 102 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:05,200 And why hunt whales at all 103 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:07,920 when there are plenty of seals available? 104 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,240 Ryan goes back to what he already knows 105 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,440 about the great white. 106 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:27,440 11 million years of evolution has made them fast... 107 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,280 agile... 108 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,120 ...and calculating. 109 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,120 Most shark species are cold-blooded 110 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,440 and have to stay in warmer waters. 111 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:52,960 ♪ ♪ 112 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,560 Great whites are one of only seven species 113 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,480 that can raise their internal body temperature. 114 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:07,040 Being warm-blooded, they keep their edge in cold water, 115 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,200 which is why no seal is safe 116 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:13,840 off the coast of southern Africa. 117 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,920 For them, white sharks are an almost unbeatable foe. 118 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:22,800 ♪ ♪ 119 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,520 So, why would white sharks turn to whales? 120 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,360 Off the coast of South Africa, 121 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,080 the sharks have plenty of seals to eat. 122 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,680 Resident colonies of Cape fur seals dot the coastline. 123 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:00,200 (seals warbling) 124 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:06,760 Half of a seal is blubber or fat. 125 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:09,840 That's what white sharks are after. 126 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,400 A white shark's liver is like a giant fuel tank 127 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,440 where it stores the calories from fat. 128 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:25,360 Combine enormous energy reserves with warm blood, 129 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,480 big teeth, hydrodynamic shape, 130 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:32,200 and sharks' super senses, 131 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,960 and you've got a feeding machine. 132 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:41,280 ♪ ♪ 133 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,920 Spectacular breaches on seal decoys 134 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,240 show just how these sharks have been hunting 135 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,800 for millions of years. 136 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,760 They know how to hunt seals. 137 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,680 So, the question Ryan really wants to answer is, 138 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,440 why would they hunt something much bigger 139 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,320 and much more dangerous? 140 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:24,800 NARRATOR: Ryan begins his research at Seal Island 141 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:29,160 just off Mossel Bay, South Africa. 142 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:33,680 It's a well-known hot spot where great whites hunt seals, 143 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:35,960 and it's just three and a half miles 144 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,200 from the site of the humpback whale attack. 145 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,280 Seals and humpback whales are as different 146 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:48,080 as they can possibly be. 147 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:52,560 What connects them in a shark's brain? 148 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:57,760 It's well-known that their diet is mostly marine mammals. 149 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,840 But just how selective is the great white? 150 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,400 Ryan runs an experiment 151 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,600 with two different sized seal decoys. 152 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,800 Which one will the sharks attack? 153 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,040 RYAN: For me, this experiment is all about 154 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,080 that cognition of a shark, that decision-making process, 155 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:26,480 when it weighs up the pros and cons of attacking a prey. 156 00:11:26,560 --> 00:11:29,920 Does it go from that extreme level of success, 157 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,320 that big reward but high risk, 158 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:34,840 or is it going to be more conservative? 159 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,880 Because this feeds right into the decision-making 160 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:39,560 Helen had to go through 161 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:43,080 when she was faced with a whale nine, ten times her size. 162 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:44,920 She had to be assessing the risk; 163 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:46,640 the chance of her getting injured; 164 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,720 the chance that she would be unsuccessful; 165 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,040 the chance that her life as a predator could end. 166 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:55,480 NARRATOR: Do the sharks display 167 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:58,680 a simple species preference, 168 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,680 or is there something more to their selection? 169 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:07,280 RYAN: Make this turn as tight as you can, 170 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:08,920 because there's no swell, 171 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,160 and we just head right up the edge of that island. 172 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,200 Nice one. 173 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,320 A little shark, but hit the little decoy, 174 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:25,520 hit the little juvenile pup. 175 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,840 Nice, that's what we're looking for. 176 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,360 First breach, number one. 177 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:32,840 Baby seal. 178 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:39,640 Okay, decoy back in. 179 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:45,440 ♪ ♪ 180 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:50,600 Wow! 181 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,320 Big shark, big breach! 182 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:55,880 That was massive! 183 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:57,920 Can you believe it? 184 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,520 And on a juvenile seal. 185 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:05,400 ♪ ♪ 186 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:40,560 There we go, we thought so! 187 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:42,640 Again, small decoy. 188 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,280 Look, we swapped the small seal over to this side, 189 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:46,400 got the hit on it. 190 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,520 This is getting conclusive now. 191 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:52,920 NARRATOR: Every breach is on the smaller decoy. 192 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,920 The small seals are low risk 193 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,920 and an almost guaranteed reward. 194 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:02,280 The sharks make a clear choice. 195 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,800 They're very discerning, which suggests that Helen's attack 196 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,680 on the humpback whale was discerning, too. 197 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:15,160 ♪ ♪ 198 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:19,840 At Seal Island, the pickings are easy, 199 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,680 but not all hunting grounds are the same. 200 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:28,200 Just how adaptable are great white sharks 201 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,640 when conditions are not in their favor? 202 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,160 To find out, Ryan moves from Mossel Bay 203 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:40,520 to Robberg Nature Reserve 80 miles east along the coast. 204 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,760 Just offshore, the humpbacks are migrating. 205 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:50,800 The sharks pay no attention. 206 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,000 Like at Seal Island, they're after the pups. 207 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,560 (pup crying) 208 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:05,160 ♪ ♪ 209 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,200 But the sharks can't ambush from the deep here; 210 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:10,800 the water's too shallow and clear. 211 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:14,920 ♪ ♪ 212 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,040 Then how do they get the job done? 213 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:26,160 ♪ ♪ 214 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,160 They're incredibly adaptable. 215 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:35,240 ♪ ♪ 216 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,960 Hiding behind the adults, pups flounder in the surf. 217 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:48,440 ♪ ♪ 218 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,840 Ryan has never before had the opportunity 219 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,840 to watch white sharks tested like this. 220 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:03,960 ♪ ♪ 221 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:14,720 There's no chance of surprising a seal here. 222 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,280 ♪ ♪ 223 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:26,920 A shark patrols the cliff face 224 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,720 engaging the prey in plain sight. 225 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,400 It's looking for a single small seal. 226 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:41,440 ♪ ♪ 227 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,000 But the sharks aren't the only adaptable species here. 228 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:57,280 ♪ ♪ 229 00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:59,640 The larger seals gang up. 230 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:04,480 ♪ ♪ 231 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:16,160 Attack is the best form of defense. 232 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,320 But only to a point. 233 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,640 And the cat-and-mouse game begins. 234 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:39,920 NARRATOR: Ryan Johnson is at Robberg Nature Reserve 235 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,160 off the coast of South Africa. 236 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,600 A hunt is underway. 237 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,440 Here, conditions favor the prey. 238 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:56,280 ♪ ♪ 239 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,920 So far, it's seals, one; 240 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,400 white shark, zero. 241 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,200 But great whites don't give up easily, 242 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,520 and they're patient. 243 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,720 Then, a small seal separates from the rest. 244 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:27,760 It's go time. 245 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:32,640 ♪ ♪ 246 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,360 (squeal) 247 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,560 The shark strike is so quick the seal is mortally wounded. 248 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:43,720 ♪ ♪ 249 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,840 Ryan is right beside the shark. 250 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:21,160 ♪ ♪ 251 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:41,520 This seal was dozing, vulnerable. 252 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,480 It paid with its life. 253 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:50,480 (heartbeat) 254 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,480 RYAN: I cannot believe what I just saw! 255 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,760 Holy moly! 256 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:09,520 Somebody help us up, 257 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:11,280 it's not good water to be in at the moment. 258 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:14,320 Bloomin' heck! 259 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,560 What we just went through. 260 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:27,000 (laughing) 261 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:28,320 Damn, Barry. 262 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:31,400 (laughing) 263 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:32,840 BARRY SKINSTAD: It's good to be alive. 264 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:34,200 RYAN: Wow. 265 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,080 That is something else. 266 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:38,920 I tell you, that's something else. 267 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:47,920 NARRATOR: It's a clear message. 268 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,440 Against the odds, white sharks are able to pick 269 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,600 the perfect moment and execute. 270 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:56,520 It's the same ability Helen used 271 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,760 when she attacked the humpback whale. 272 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,000 Nothing random about it. 273 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:08,000 RYAN: How that shark snuck up and was successful, 274 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:09,640 one second it was there, 275 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:15,480 and the next second it was feeding and thrashing. 276 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:20,240 Yoh. 277 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,040 You think you've witnessed it all, 278 00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:24,080 you think you've seen it all, but you ain't seen nothing 279 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,680 until you've been in the water with a hunting great white. 280 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,160 NARRATOR: Hunting great whites have one very subtle ability 281 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:38,880 over all the others. 282 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,160 They can detect the moment of maximum vulnerability 283 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,720 and exploit it. 284 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:49,640 Helen used her intuition when she went after the big whale, 285 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:54,400 and she had extra motivation to do that. 286 00:21:54,480 --> 00:22:00,280 In winter, small seals are plentiful and easy prey, 287 00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:02,880 but in the spring when the seals have grown up, 288 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,440 they're more difficult to catch. 289 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,880 So, the sharks must adapt their diet. 290 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:16,520 ♪ ♪ 291 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:19,880 What would a big great white risk then 292 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,680 for a bellyful of blubber? 293 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:25,920 (whale sings) 294 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,000 An attack on a whale? 295 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,760 Perhaps. 296 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,240 Over 30,000 humpback whales migrate through sharky waters 297 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,560 off the coast of South Africa. 298 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,040 They're headed to Mozambique. 299 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,600 Humpbacks are the fifth largest whale species. 300 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:59,520 They can reach up to 60 feet and weigh a staggering 40 tons. 301 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:01,840 That's three times longer than the world's largest 302 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,720 great white shark and 30 times heavier. 303 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,080 The whales are big and strong enough 304 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,840 to injure or kill a healthy white shark. 305 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,640 But that blubber jackpot might be too tempting to pass up. 306 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:28,000 (whale sings) 307 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:36,840 (whale blows) 308 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,720 Now it's midwinter in the Southern Hemisphere. 309 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,600 This blue wilderness has many players, 310 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,800 and they're all on the move. 311 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,640 Ryan must keep track of it all. 312 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:07,320 He's watching the movements of great whites. 313 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,160 Do they follow the whales as they move north? 314 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,920 Helen has made this journey before. 315 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,200 In the winter of 2016, 316 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:25,720 she was tracked all the way to Mozambique. 317 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,000 That's where the whales go every year 318 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,960 to breed the next generation of humpbacks. 319 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,680 Was Helen waiting for them? 320 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:39,320 Ryan's searching hard for evidence 321 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,680 of white shark and humpback interaction, 322 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,000 and that Helen's attack on the humpback whale 323 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:49,520 was anything but random. 324 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:56,400 ♪ ♪ 325 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,040 During this time of year, 326 00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:01,560 there's a great gathering of marine species. 327 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:09,280 A vast run of sardines headed in the same direction. 328 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:14,480 ♪ ♪ 329 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:29,680 It's one of the ocean's greatest feeding events 330 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,720 and lures predators of all kinds. 331 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,440 Dolphins, gannets, seals, 332 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,160 thousands of sharks and hundreds of whales. 333 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:52,440 Ryan looks for whales with bite marks or wounds; 334 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,240 hard evidence of shark attacks. 335 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:01,560 These are Bryde's whales. 336 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,000 They're here to feed. 337 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:07,080 ♪ ♪ 338 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:12,160 (clicking) 339 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:17,480 But the humpbacks don't join in. 340 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,760 They simply keep going. 341 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,800 Do they get ambushed as they go by? 342 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:30,560 Finding scars or wounds might mean yes. 343 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,800 RYAN: So, we've just come across our first resting humpback. 344 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:35,880 This is a good chance to get in and start looking 345 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:39,520 for shark bites and shark wounds on these humpbacks. 346 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,240 Oh, there's, a shark just jumped. 347 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,600 See that? A shark just jumped. Nice! 348 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,160 And what I'm hoping to get is to look for some scars, 349 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,680 some evidence of shark bites, 350 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,400 and then we know that it's possibly a more common behavior 351 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,360 than we first expected. 352 00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:59,320 Wow, look at that, okay. 353 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:12,520 ♪ ♪ 354 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:14,440 NARRATOR: The whale is pec-slapping, 355 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:16,600 slapping its pectoral fin on the surface 356 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,760 signaling to other whales nearby. 357 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,240 Ryan must be careful. 358 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:30,560 ♪ ♪ 359 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:45,000 He didn't see any bite marks, 360 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,040 but he has seen footage of a subadult 361 00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:51,960 badly bitten... 362 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:55,560 and badly bitten by a mob of sharks. 363 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,400 NARRATOR: This young humpback is the victim 364 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,800 of a shark attack. 365 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,960 The rare footage shows open wounds made by sharks 366 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,120 trying to get at the blubber beneath the skin. 367 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,440 But the bites are too small for a great white. 368 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:34,680 And with so many bites, it must have been a shiver of sharks. 369 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,920 Likely duskies chasing the sardine run. 370 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:46,800 Dusky sharks don't work alone. 371 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:50,200 Could a school of them take down a whale? 372 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:57,160 ♪ ♪ 373 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,040 This evidence suggests that they tried. 374 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:08,080 Yet somehow this young whale escaped with its life 375 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:09,960 and kept going. 376 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:15,560 ♪ ♪ 377 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:27,400 The migrating humpbacks have only one objective now: 378 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,200 the safehouse of Mozambique. 379 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,480 It's a whale birthing paradise 380 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:39,080 far from the usual hunting grounds of great white sharks. 381 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:46,000 Vulnerable baby whales can nurse, grow and gain strength. 382 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:56,240 The adults have traveled 4,000 miles to safety. 383 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:58,840 The warm water and lack of predators 384 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:03,160 give their species the best chance of survival. 385 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:09,000 (whales singing) 386 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,640 It's a magical time. 387 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:15,800 The whales spend up to four months mating, birthing, 388 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,760 and nursing their young. 389 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,960 (whale sings) 390 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:29,840 ♪ ♪ 391 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,360 (whale sings) 392 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:47,480 This is their time to bond and interact. 393 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:49,560 (whales sing) 394 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:54,520 But these adult whales have not eaten 395 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,800 since they left Antarctica months ago. 396 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:05,080 Their strength diminishes each day, 397 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:09,200 and the time is coming when all of them, adults and calves, 398 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:11,480 will have to swim the 4,000 miles 399 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:14,200 back to Antarctica to feed. 400 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:19,520 RYAN: After four months up at Mozambique, 401 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:21,600 they start this return migration down, 402 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:23,360 and that's when it's going to get really interesting, 403 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,720 'cause at that stage you're going to have these weak whales, 404 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,920 these whales that haven't fed up enough that have been starved 405 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:29,800 for the last four or five months. 406 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,520 And as they go down, they're gonna be the ones 407 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:36,640 that I think are really vulnerable to attack by sharks. 408 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:42,440 ♪ ♪ 409 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:47,440 NARRATOR: Now it's springtime, 410 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,280 and the humpback whales begin the journey south, 411 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:53,960 back to Antarctica. 412 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:59,200 (whale sings) 413 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:01,480 Everything works against them. 414 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:08,200 ♪ ♪ 415 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,920 New mothers dig into precious energy reserves 416 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:15,120 to produce 100 pounds of milk a day. 417 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:16,920 RYAN: So, look at this. 418 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,400 You can see that utter, utter commitment of these whales 419 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,680 to get back to Antarctica. 420 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,200 She's been up at Mozambique for the last three, four months 421 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,800 feeding that baby, getting its blubber layer up, 422 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,360 getting it ready for those cold waters of Antarctica. 423 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:32,120 And now she's got one mission, 424 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:34,480 and that's to get down past South Africa, 425 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:38,600 across to Antarctica and get back to the food. 426 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,520 You know, you look at this coastline, 427 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,680 and it looks pristine, it looks beautiful, 428 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:46,120 but what is hidden is the amount of perils 429 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:47,720 that these whales face. 430 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:49,800 There's shipping lanes here, there's nets, 431 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,960 there's longliners, there's shark bather protection nets. 432 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:54,760 And it's when they get entangled, 433 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:57,000 it's when they get weakened, it's when they get isolated 434 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:01,120 from each other that they become vulnerable to shark attacks. 435 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,640 NARRATOR: Helen's attack on a humpback happened 436 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:11,840 at the end of summer during this return trip to Antarctica. 437 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,520 The whale she attacked was tangled up 438 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:19,200 in heavy fishing line 439 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:21,600 and all alone. 440 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:27,360 Humpback whales have close family bonds, 441 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,480 but the safety of the pod comes first. 442 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:32,440 (whale blows) 443 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:35,240 Stragglers are left behind. 444 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:39,600 This humpback was still 445 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:43,400 2,000 miles from Antarctica. 446 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:47,400 It was weak and vulnerable; 447 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:52,120 everything a white shark looks for in a victim. 448 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:56,440 Worst of all, it was alone in white shark territory. 449 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:07,840 NARRATOR: The grueling migration back to Antarctica 450 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:09,920 can be fatal to whales. 451 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:20,680 Some are too old, too weak or just unlucky. 452 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,960 When a whale dies, it's like a dinner bell for sharks. 453 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:33,920 ♪ ♪ 454 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:51,360 They didn't kill it, 455 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:53,840 but that doesn't matter. 456 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:59,240 ♪ ♪ 457 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:04,280 Whale blubber is pure fat. 458 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:10,320 Sharks convert the fat to energy, 459 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,040 which they store in their massive livers. 460 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:21,320 They'd have to kill 200 seals to get the same energy boost. 461 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:26,680 ♪ ♪ 462 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,320 Of course, sharks scavenging dead whales 463 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,360 is not new to science. 464 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:58,680 But a great white attacking a living whale is new. 465 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:03,440 ♪ ♪ 466 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:11,080 Just what would a shark do for a mouthful of whale? 467 00:36:14,240 --> 00:36:16,520 If the right opportunity came along, 468 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:19,960 would they go in for the kill? 469 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,280 Killing a live whale is vastly different 470 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:26,760 to scavenging a carcass. 471 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:30,360 RYAN: And what struck me was just how patient, 472 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:33,680 just how strategic Helen was 473 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,160 when she was going about this attack. 474 00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:38,240 She wasn't trying to eat, she was trying to weaken, 475 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:40,160 she was trying to slow down. 476 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:43,680 She was trying to slowly overcome this whale 477 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:47,000 before even considering feeding on it. 478 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:51,080 NARRATOR: To do that, 479 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:54,320 Helen attacked the whale's tail first. 480 00:36:54,400 --> 00:37:00,120 ♪ ♪ 481 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:02,440 (whale blows) 482 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:09,160 ♪ ♪ 483 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:15,080 A washed-up carcass reveals just how difficult it is 484 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:19,160 for a shark to get the better of a whale. 485 00:37:19,240 --> 00:37:21,560 RYAN: This tail is one of the main power forces 486 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,440 for any humpback whale. 487 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:27,200 It can literally propel one of the whales, a 40-ton whale, 488 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:29,520 18 meters out of the water. 489 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:32,160 So, even for the biggest, strongest great white shark, 490 00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:34,080 if it took a knock by one of these, 491 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:37,400 it's tickets for the shark. 492 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:39,840 What was clear was on that weak whale, 493 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:41,400 the first place the great white targeted 494 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:44,120 was right here on the tail, on the keel. 495 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:47,680 And the idea is, and I reckon if I cut in here, we'll see it, 496 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:49,920 is that these big veins that go here, 497 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,120 supplying energy to this muscle. 498 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,280 With the white shark targeting this area here, 499 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:58,520 essentially what it could do was open up a vein, 500 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,080 let the whale bleed out and then when it was very, very weak, 501 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:06,600 almost dead, target it and actually try to go and kill it. 502 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,920 NARRATOR: This is exactly what Helen does. 503 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:14,960 ♪ ♪ 504 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:31,120 She bites the whale's tail again and again. 505 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:35,040 (whale squeals) 506 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:40,160 ♪ ♪ 507 00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:44,160 Eventually blood begins to pour out. 508 00:38:44,240 --> 00:38:48,440 ♪ ♪ 509 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,760 (whale moans) 510 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:56,680 Then, as the whale grows weaker, 511 00:38:56,760 --> 00:39:02,600 Helen does something no one has ever seen a shark do before. 512 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:08,760 NARRATOR: For the first time in shark science, 513 00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:12,720 Ryan witnesses a single white shark killing a humpback whale. 514 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:18,080 ♪ ♪ 515 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:22,680 The whale is tangled up in fishing line, weak and alone. 516 00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:29,080 White sharks are experts at assessing vulnerability. 517 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:36,080 The young humpback has been left behind by the pod. 518 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:43,080 ♪ ♪ 519 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:46,160 There's no escape. 520 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:48,800 RYAN: Was Helen cognizant of this? Most likely. 521 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:50,320 And it begs the question, 522 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:53,080 would this attack even have been contemplated 523 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:54,480 if this whale was at full strength? 524 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:58,080 And I think probably not. 525 00:39:58,160 --> 00:39:59,920 NARRATOR: Helen uses the same strategy 526 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,120 white sharks use when hunting seals. 527 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:09,480 She's watchful and patient, 528 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:12,880 assessing the whale's strength and ability to resist. 529 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:18,720 ♪ ♪ 530 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:22,040 The whale's life slowly bleeds away. 531 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:26,440 ♪ ♪ 532 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:29,360 Helen patiently waits. 533 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:36,320 It's typical great white hunting behavior, 534 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,360 but adapted for a whale. 535 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:45,920 Helen waits until the whale is most vulnerable. 536 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,800 Her shark sense tells her when that moment has come. 537 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:55,560 RYAN: So then she changed her entire strategy 538 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,080 and started focusing on the head. 539 00:40:58,160 --> 00:40:59,800 Basically, like this shark had done, 540 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:02,960 she grips onto this and she essentially puts all her weight, 541 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:06,480 taking the head of the whale down. 542 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:07,920 (whale groans) 543 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,200 NARRATOR: She uses the weight of her body 544 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:13,440 to shove the whale's head underwater. 545 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:20,320 (whale bellows) 546 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:23,960 Her goal is to drown it. 547 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:28,200 (whale moaning) 548 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:33,440 ♪ ♪ 549 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:40,080 The great white is methodical. 550 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:42,920 She knows just what to do. 551 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:49,560 ♪ ♪ 552 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:56,800 RYAN: And there is a chance that Helen, 553 00:41:56,880 --> 00:41:59,000 the shark that attacked this whale, 554 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:00,720 has in fact learned this behavior, 555 00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:02,800 and it is unique to her. 556 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:04,960 But on the other hand, it could have been 557 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:06,880 that it's just a very common behavior, 558 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:09,400 that for some reason scientists around the world 559 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:12,240 have not been able to observe before. 560 00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:15,280 NARRATOR: When Ryan compiles this video evidence together 561 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:18,480 with the footage of Helen's methodical expert attack, 562 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:22,560 he arrives at just one conclusion. 563 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:24,960 White sharks are going after whales 564 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:27,080 more often than we think. 565 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:44,880 (whale blows) 566 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:49,000 After 50 minutes of patient, persistent effort, 567 00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:51,640 the whale draws its last breath 568 00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:54,680 and Helen succeeds in drowning it. 569 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:16,120 ♪ ♪ 570 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:17,960 RYAN: Filming it and actually documenting, 571 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:22,280 you get conclusive evidence that great white sharks 572 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:24,800 can in fact predate and hunt on whales, 573 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:27,000 and that's brand new to science. 574 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:29,920 It's never been seen before, never been documented before, 575 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:33,440 and it opens up an entirely new avenue of research. 576 00:43:35,720 --> 00:43:37,480 NARRATOR: Helen, the white shark, 577 00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:42,080 found vulnerability and opportunity. 578 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:45,840 She calculated the risks, successfully took down 579 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:50,120 not a seal, but a whale, and ate her reward. 580 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:55,360 Great white sharks are among the most lethal and effective 581 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:58,920 apex predators on the planet, 582 00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:01,960 and Helen is likely not the only whale hunter 583 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:03,680 on this coast. 584 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:09,520 Captioned by Side Door Media Services