For the first time, scientists have witnessed a grey seal attacking an eagle swooping down from the sky by spraying water at its enemy.
Unprecedented interaction between grey seals and white-tailed eagles. Photo: Clare Jacobs
A study from the University of Portsmouth in the UK published in the Journal of the Isle of Wight Archaeological and Natural History Society details the incident that occurred in Newtown Harbor, Newsweek reported on March 7. A resident named Clare Jacobs took a photo of the moment a white-tailed eagle swooped down to the water at high tide. Suddenly, a grey seal jumped out of the water and sprayed a stream of water directly at the bird of prey. This type of defensive behavior has never been witnessed or recorded before.
According to the study, the grey seal had previously barked warning barks at the eagle. But the bird ignored them and dove into the water anyway. As a result, scientists had the opportunity to learn more about the two predators and how they interact.
The white-tailed eagle became extinct on the Isle of Wight in the 18th century but was reintroduced in 2019 and has since rebounded. Grey seals and white-tailed eagles are common on the Isle of Wight, but this is the first time interactions between the two species have been directly observed, according to Megan Jacobs, a palaeontologist at the University of Portsmouth’s School of Environmental, Geographic and Geoscience.
Seals spray water as a defense or to ward off aerial predators. It may also be a way to ward off white-tailed eagles competing for prey like fish. "This interaction challenges our current understanding of animal defense mechanisms. I was very excited when I saw the photo because water spraying is typically seen in humans, camels, and some venomous snakes and gillnets," Megan said.
An Khang (According to Newsweek )
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