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Monday, March 17, 2025

WATCH: First of its kind drone footage shows Orcas hunting a Great White shark

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A man from Hartenbos made history when he filmed Orcas hunting a Great White shark.

The drone footage was taken in May this year by Christiaan Stopforth near the estuary at Hartenbos.

In the clip, three Orcas surround a Great White shark, with two whales framing the shark and the other biting the shark from below. The center killer whale brings the great white closer to the surface, biting the dead shark near the liver.

The stunning footage, the first of its kind in the world, was aired last Thursday on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week programme.

The TV special features marine wildlife expert Dickie Chivell, and explores the disappearance of great white sharks from the species’ once popular hunting grounds in the waters near South Africa.

A recent article in the African Journal of Marine Science found that aggressive killer whales in the area are likely responsible for the absence of great white sharks.

Stopforth told Netwerk24 that he is overwhelmed by the reaction to the footage.

“My goal that day was to find a school of orcas.”

According to him, he was lucky to find them.

“The group suddenly disappeared and the next moment there was a great white shark,” he says.

The one orca appeared above the water with the shark, belly up. Later, a third orca made its appearance near the shark’s tail.

Stopforth says he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the footage.

“It’s really remarkable.”

Liesl Smit
Liesl Smit
Liesl is the Smile 90.4FM News Manager. She has been at Smile since 2016, with nearly 20 years experience in the radio industry, including reading news, field reporting and producing. In 2008 she won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award, Western Cape region. liesl@smile904.fm

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