♪♪
Gates: I'M IN MOSSEL BAY, SOUTH AFRICA,
GETTING MY FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK
TO SEE IF IT HAD A COMPETITIVE EDGE
OVER A MONSTER SHARK OF THE PAST -- THE MEGALODON.
WE'RE TOWING A SEAL DECOY TO ENTICE THESE SUPER PREDATORS
TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR AMBUSH ATTACK STRATEGY,
THE LIGHTNING-FAST AERIAL BREACH.
OKAY, SO...
Towner: OH!
OH! UNBELIEVABLE!
ROCKETING FROM THE DEPTHS TO SURPRISE THEIR PREY,
GREAT WHITES HAVE BEEN SEEN LEAPING 10 FEET IN THE AIR.
DID YOU GET IT? THAT ONE, I GOT.
BUT IF YOU'RE A SEAL, IT'S NOT SUCH A PRETTY PICTURE.
THE IMPACT OF A GREAT WHITE BREACH ATTACK
HAS BEEN MEASURED AT A FORCE OF NEARLY 30 Gs,
COMPARABLE TO BEING HIT BY A CAR.
OH. BREACH!
OH!
RIGHT OUT OF THE WATER!
OH, MY GOD!
THE BREACH ATTACK ALLOWS GREAT WHITES
TO SNEAK UP ON THEIR PREY
AND DELIVER A DEATH BLOW IN MERE SECONDS.
OH! BREACH!
OH, HO HO! OH!
THAT WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WATER.
♪♪
IT'S TERRIFYING, REALLY.
YOU REALIZE NOT JUST THE POWER THAT THEY HAVE,
BUT THE ACCURACY.
YEAH, THE GREAT WHITE IS AN AMBUSH HUNTER TO ITS CORE.
THAT'S ASTOUNDING.
OH, THERE'S A TOOTH. LOOK AT THAT!
UNBELIEVABLE!
THERE'S LITERALLY A TOOTH STUCK IN THE DECOY.
AND, LOOK AT THIS. THIS WHOLE CHUNK MISSING.
COULD THE MEG HAVE HUNTED LIKE THIS?
WHILE WE KNOW THAT THE SORT OF ADVANTAGE
THAT A WHITE SHARK HAS ON IT IS THAT IT IS SMALLER, IT'S AGILE,
AND IT'S ABLE TO ACCELERATE ON A DIME,
I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN AS EFFICIENT
AS WHITE SHARKS.
THE SHEER SIZE AND WEIGHT OF A MEG SUGGESTS
IT WAS NOT WELL-EQUIPPED TO AMBUSH ITS PREY.
AND EVEN IF IT COULD BREACH,
EXPENDING THAT MUCH ENERGY ON A SINGLE SEAL
MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WORTH IT.
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE MEG HAD TO EAT
2,500 POUNDS OF FOOD A DAY --
THAT'S 10 FULL-GROWN CAPE FUR SEALS.
THE GREAT WHITE, ON THE OTHER HAND,
CAN SURVIVE ON JUST ONE SEAL A WEEK.
LET'S SEE WHAT WE GOT HERE.
WOW. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.