Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory (Full Episode) — SHARKFEST SPECIAL — National Geographic

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: That is just the most prehistoric scene... ...terrifying! Look at those teeth! [00:00:54] Speaker 2: The southern tip of Africa. Home to spectacular marine life. And the notorious shark I'm trying to find. I have dived with a lot of sharks around the world, but I have never seen the most famous and the most feared: the Great White. Up ahead is a very special place where I want to try something that my mum really doesn't want me to do. We're going to attempt to dive with a Great White shark without a cage. I want to learn more about this misunderstood predator, so I've come to Plettenberg Bay. It's become a hot spot for Great Whites at this time of year. But diving with them should only be attempted with the right team. Thank you. [00:01:54] Speaker ?: Thank you. [00:01:55] Speaker 2: I'm working with Patrick McDonald, a local skipper who knows these waters better than anyone. We're joined by underwater cinematographer Dan Beecham and drone pilot James Loudon. The team's combined experience filming Great Whites here is unmatched. After four weeks, our first stop is where these predators gather in winter. Oh, look at that. That big wall of rock, that's the Roburg Peninsula. And the next bit of land behind it is Antarctica. So this rock blocks a lot of the swell, creating this lovely big bay. These sheltered waters make Roburg the perfect home for another important character in this story. [00:03:00] Speaker ?: I'm going to work with you. [00:03:05] Speaker 2: Jeez, just look at all the seals here. Just carpeting all over the rocks. These are all Cape Burr seals. The Roburg Peninsula is a really good name, because in South Africa, Rob means seal and Berg means mountain. So this is Seal Mountain. To find Great Whites, it's best to start with their prey. Hey, guys. These are all pups from this season. They're about eight, nine months old. And they're all having a wonderful time, frolicking around in the surf, enjoying the sun. Inexperienced youngsters make easy pickings. If a great white shark turned up, the mood would change like that. Yeah, certainly a lot of shark food here. Roburg isn't just a great place to find a great white. It's one of the only locations in the world where it's possible to film a hunt without a cage. The conditions here are unique. [00:04:28] Speaker 3: Are you good? Looks good. OK. Yeah. [00:04:32] Speaker 2: Shallow water means James can watch from above and alert us to any approaching sharks. [00:04:38] Speaker 4: Can't see anything at the moment. It's pretty clear. Good visibility. OK, are you good? It's good. Two, three, go. [00:04:56] Speaker 1: Whoa-ho. Hello, little one. It's amazing how manoeuvrable they are. The way they can just spin and spin and spin. Whoa. It's like their spines are made of jelly. [00:05:31] Speaker 2: Fur seals are fast, flexible and very hard to catch. But their best defence is early warning. Great whites attack from below. [00:05:42] Speaker 1: You see all these guys on the surface with their butts in the air and their heads under water. They're in vigilance mode. They're all looking around, seeing what's up. So, collectively, they're a very hard thing to sneak up on. [00:05:59] Speaker 2: That's why this clear water is good for seals and perfect for me. I can see a shark coming and it can see I'm not its prey. [00:06:14] Speaker 1: See this one? This one's found a crab. They've got serious attitudes. Sticking their claws in the air saying, "Come on, come at me." Quick, bury yourself. While this crab will live to tell the tale. Well done, buddy. Oi, no biting. I said no biting. Oi. A couple of these pups are getting a little too brave now. A little too curious. This bay is full of seals. [00:07:01] Speaker 2: But to make sure we don't miss any sharks, we've partnered with great white expert, Lacey Williams. Lacey has studied great whites at Robburg. And she can help us pinpoint the best places to dive. All right, Lacey. [00:07:29] Speaker 4: Let's do another. Thank you. [00:07:33] Speaker ?: You got it? [00:07:35] Speaker 2: Dan positions remote cameras to give us more clues about where the sharks hunt. Where do you think we should check the next ones? [00:07:44] Speaker 5: Potentially a little bit further down that way, actually. The great white sharks could be cutting really closely around these rocky features to take advantage of those blind corners. In an area where most of the environment is to the seals' advantage, that's one way that the great whites can use it to their advantage. [00:08:02] Speaker 2: I reckon we should stick another couple cameras in this area here with those boulders. [00:08:06] Speaker 5: Definitely. This spot we have seen a lot of predatory activity in the past, so it's a great spot. Let's see if we put this one a little bit closer to the rocks on that side. [00:08:16] Speaker 1: Got it. [00:08:28] Speaker 2: The cameras are rolling. And in this special place, there's always something to see. [00:08:35] Speaker 1: Whoa, look at that. [00:08:37] Speaker 2: This big dark shape in the water is a southern right whale. And the seals are just all over it. It's so funny. Any animal that comes near the colony, they've got to go and check out. You see all the barnacles on its nose. That's such a distinctive characteristic of the southern right whale. They're called the right whale because back during the whaling era, they were the right whale to hunt. They floated after you harpooned them. The species was hunted to the brink of extinction. But populations are recovering. And around 6,000 are thought to spend winter here. Plettenberg Bay is a sanctuary where females come to give birth and nurse their young. This is the power of marine protected areas. They're such a haven for so many animals. Not just the seals, not just the sharks. But it's an amazing endangered southern right whale. The whale seems relaxed. So while James keeps a lookout for sharks, it's the perfect opportunity to get in the water. [00:10:04] Speaker ?: It's the perfect thing. [00:10:18] Speaker 2: Southern right whales can weigh over 70 tonnes. Despite their bulk, they're surprisingly agile. [00:10:35] Speaker ?: And this one is in a playful mood. [00:10:42] Speaker 2: Perhaps a little too playful. Well, that went rather well. [00:10:55] Speaker ?: It put its tail completely underneath my body. [00:10:59] Speaker 2: And I was thinking, oh, this is not a good place to be. It's very gently... It's kind of gently brushed me with its tail and then did a couple more passes and just hung out. Yeah, it's pretty wild just in this small area how much life there is. All we need now is a great white shark. It's been a successful first day, packed full of surprises. Next morning, I get the call we've been waiting for. OK, so we have had a report of a great white at Central Beach, which is just up here. And it's been thrashing around in the shallows, probably eating a seal. So we're going to go and try and get eyes on. Central Beach is right in the heart of Plettenberg Bay. The main tourist area. Come on, Sharky, where are you? If that shark was still here eating its kill, I would expect to see a lot more birds here and I'm just not. Oh, so close. I managed to track down an eyewitness, Winston Sonwabo. So where was it, Winston? [00:12:52] Speaker 3: It was right here, right here. When I look, there's blood already. A pool of blood in the water. Pool of blood in the water. Then I saw the shark was moving. I took out my phone in my pocket. Then I've taken a picture of that shark. Can I see the picture? [00:13:11] Speaker ?: Yeah, sure. [00:13:13] Speaker 4: Wow, you can see it thrashing in the water. [00:13:15] Speaker ?: Yes. [00:13:16] Speaker 4: You think it had a seal in the water? Yeah, I think so. I think so, yeah. Oh, look at all the gulls. How long was it thrashing like that for? About 10, 15 seconds. Really quick? Really quick, yeah. And then disappeared? Disappear, yeah. [00:13:33] Speaker 2: Jeez. It's a brief but important glimpse. And it's less than a mile from where I was diving yesterday. Looking at the amount of blood, you know, it's a seal almost certainly that was being eaten and the amount of gulls. That big dorsal fin, long body. Yeah, that's a great white and we've missed it by minutes. This predation has a deeper and tragic significance. What's pretty chilling is that two years ago, in basically this exact spot, there was a woman who was swimming less than 50 feet from the beach and she was attacked and killed by a great white shark. You know, normally in these human wildlife conflict situations, I'm the first to jump to the defense of the wild animal. But you can't get away from the fact that great white sharks are potentially very, very dangerous. [00:14:32] Speaker ?: You can't get away from them. [00:14:34] Speaker 2: To reduce the risk of diving with them, I want to keep learning about how great whites hunt. This spot where Winston filmed is clearly one they prefer. Generally speaking, the shark that you can see is not the one you need to worry about. So, James is getting the drone in the air. And we're going to get in and be nice and sharp. One, two, three, go. Much of the bay is shallow and sandy, but here there are narrow gullies thick with coral. It's perfect for an ambush hunter like the great white. They use deep, dark or murky water to get close to their prey before launching an explosive attack. I'm hugging the seabed so I can't be ambushed from below. And I'm not the only one. [00:15:46] Speaker 1: Whoa, and check it out. You know, while the great whites might grab the headlines, these waters are actually home to a hundred species of other sharks. So, these are pajama cat sharks. And I love their name. Stripey pajamas. And they're called cat sharks because if you look really close, they've got very cat-like eyes. And these little barbels that look a bit like whiskers. Oh, hey guys. Wow, look at this coming in here. Well, this beautiful little thing is a dark, shy shark. Just like the pajama shark, they're endemic to these waters. They're only found here. [00:16:48] Speaker 2: These smaller sharks are important prey for young great whites that can't tackle a fur seal. [00:16:54] Speaker 1: You know, you look around here. Multiple species of shark all this life. You know, the great whites, the top predators, they keep this whole ecosystem in balance. And so, their presence allows countless other species to thrive. [00:17:18] Speaker 2: Great whites might be good news for coastal ecosystems. But for the humans of Plettenberg Bay, their presence is a lot more complex. The woman who died two years ago was the second victim in a three-month period. And the local community was forced to respond. [00:17:40] Speaker 6: So, the third site that we have... [00:17:44] Speaker 2: I've come to meet Kwesi Namtu. [00:17:46] Speaker 6: We have also two... [00:17:48] Speaker 2: She's part of a team who aim to protect humans and sharks. How do you keep people safe along this stretch of coastline? [00:17:59] Speaker 6: We have a network of shark squatters. We have one further down. And the second one is the hotel behind us. [00:18:07] Speaker ?: That one just there? This one. Yes. [00:18:10] Speaker 6: We also have shark squatters sitting on top of it. And we also have one at the peninsula where we're heading. That is where my station is. [00:18:23] Speaker 2: High on Roburg, Kwesi is perfectly placed to monitor the bay below. [00:18:32] Speaker ?: I use the horn. [00:18:33] Speaker 6: Should I have feathers in the water? To alert them that there's a shark around. And I also have a flag. [00:18:40] Speaker 2: Can I have a look at the flag? [00:18:42] Speaker 6: You're going to have to assist me with that one. [00:18:44] Speaker ?: Okay. [00:18:45] Speaker 6: Okay. Can I have a look at that side? [00:18:49] Speaker ?: Nice. [00:18:50] Speaker 2: That's awesome. Shark spotters was set up with a dual purpose. [00:18:57] Speaker 6: We felt that there's an urgent need to save people's lives. And also take guard for the sharks because we don't want to be killing the sharks. We need them just as much as we also want to use the water. That is how shark spotters started. I wasn't a shark spotter before. [00:19:16] Speaker 2: What did you do before? [00:19:18] Speaker 6: I was an analytical chemist. I used to be in the lab, like trapped in the lab for the whole day. Get in when it's dark and go out when it's dark. Never get to see the sunshine. So that is another thing that I'm grateful for, being a shark spotter. [00:19:36] Speaker 2: Do you believe it is possible for sharks and humans to live alongside each other? [00:19:40] Speaker 6: I think yes, but it's a matter of understanding the sharks. The nature of a shark is to hunt and feed. They don't want to eat people. But if you are in their way, their nature is just to hunt. So it's a matter of understanding when to get into the water. You just check whether there is a flag. [00:19:58] Speaker 2: Got it. For sharks and people to live alongside each other, he is not managing the great white sharks. He is managing the people. [00:20:06] Speaker ?: Exactly. [00:20:07] Speaker 6: Sharks are vital for the ecosystem. So killing them wouldn't do us any good. [00:20:16] Speaker 2: Kwesi and the shark spotters will let us know as soon as they see a great white, so we can dive into action. Our drone is also a critical tool to find anything lurking in the shallows. We're heading east. Uh, just stop there. Drop a little lower. What's that? Looks like a shark. [00:20:41] Speaker 4: That's a shark, eh? [00:20:42] Speaker ?: Yeah, it is. Yeah. [00:20:43] Speaker 2: We have got a bronze whaler shark, and as their name suggests, they're a bronzy color, kind of a browny color. A great white would be a much darker color. These guys have also got a much blunter nose. A white shark's nose is much pointier. They get their name because back during the whaling era when a whale was harpooned, lots of these sharks would turn up to feed on the carcass. Let's just go a little higher, James. There's tons of them. I've never seen so many of them out here. You've never seen so many? No. That is interesting that we're seeing so many bronze whaler sharks, because, you know, it's normal for them to be here, but not in these numbers at this time of year. And this could be an indication that, you know, there's something out of whack here. Okay, James, let's spin around, head back up the coast, because there's a couple of surfers just got in the water down there. Heading towards the beach. Bronzees aren't a threat to people, right? No, I've never heard of an attack. Okay. Okay, that's good. Hold there. Wow, look at that surfer. He's got bronze whaler sharks all around him. I think this would be a very different experience for us filming this if that was a great white shark. You know, we only ever hear about the bad shark encounters in the news, but, you know, this goes to show the reality that around the world every day, thousands and thousands of people could be having very close encounters with sharks, and they don't even realize. Our excitement at seeing bronze whaler sharks is short-lived. [00:22:46] Speaker 4: Well, this doesn't look good at all. That is some serious weather coming in. [00:22:56] Speaker 2: There's a big wall of rain. That wind is building and there's some big swell coming in. This is not good. This storm will last a few days. This storm will last a few days. And make searching for great whites impossible. So instead of waiting, we travel 600 miles northeast to a warmer part of the Indian Ocean. Here, I can learn more about sharks. From a species that gathers at an iconic reef called Aliwal Shoal. We've come a few miles offshore and the sun's just poking up above the horizon. And you wouldn't know it sat here, but we are currently on top of an incredible natural structure that's on the seabed. [00:24:00] Speaker 3: Okay, one, two, three, four. [00:24:18] Speaker 2: This rocky reef is famous for sharks that swarm in a natural cave called the cathedral. Oh, wow. [00:24:27] Speaker 1: Wow, that's cool. I've never seen anything like it. That is just the most prehistoric scene. I mean, that makes sense. You know, sharks have been around for hundreds of millions of years. Sharks predate the dinosaurs. Sharks have even been around longer than trees. These are all spotted ragged toothed sharks. And no one knows for sure why they gather here, but it's thought it's part of a mating ritual. These caves are full of life. Hey, buddy. Got a Hawksville turtle. Oh, cool. Big potato bass. It's a shame we're not here to make a bass documentary, really. Because this guy is much friendlier than the sharks. I really hope we'd find one of these. This is a ragged toothed shark's tooth. They've got about a hundred active teeth at any one time. But behind that, they've got a conveyor belt of fresh teeth that can replace them. It's estimated that in their lives, they can go through 10,000 teeth. [00:26:08] Speaker 2: Raggies can grow 10 feet long and weigh the same as a grizzly bear. Getting used to their size and body language should help prepare us for the great whites. But there is one crucial difference. [00:26:25] Speaker 1: Their mouths are terrifying. But the reason that I am very chill and very relaxed is because of the shape of those teeth. If you look at a great white shark's teeth, they're triangular and they're for cutting and shearing big prey. Whereas these raggies have needle-shaped teeth. That means they're for biting down, grabbing, and then swallowing their prey whole. So as a human, I am way too big to be swallowed whole in a mouse that size. So I am not on the menu. [00:27:00] Speaker 2: Swimming so close to so many sharks might be against every human instinct. But by understanding their anatomy and behavior, we're able to dive with them safely. To see that many big sharks all together is something that will stay with me for a long time. If only finding the great whites was that straightforward. The storm has passed, and it's time to retrieve our remote cameras with LASIK. [00:27:51] Speaker 1: Thank you. [00:27:53] Speaker 2: With only seven days left, it's now or never to find the great whites. [00:28:02] Speaker 1: OK. [00:28:04] Speaker 2: OK, this is our spot on the sand. Not much going on there. Next one. As we trawl through more and more footage, anxiety starts to creep in. But every single camera is coming up empty. [00:28:22] Speaker ?: Nada. [00:28:27] Speaker 2: None of these cameras have any sharks on. The sharks are either not here or being very, very elusive. [00:28:34] Speaker 5: They are very good at that, but it is concerning to not see any great whites during this time of year in the winter when we expect to see them. And they have been seen in these areas. Why are they not here? There are a couple of theories. One of those is with respect to the commercial fisheries. [00:28:55] Speaker 2: Shark fishing is a global industry with over a hundred million caught every year. Wow. Geez. Great whites themselves are protected, but fishing of other shark species still affects them, especially in South African waters. [00:29:13] Speaker 5: So there are commercial shark longliners that are legally permitted to fish, soup fin, and smooth hound sharks. They are a primary food source for great white sharks. Great whites do hunt seals. They're famous for that, but that's only a part of a great white shark's diet. And so if you start to take away a predator's food, they will either have to maybe go elsewhere, or if there's not enough food, then they can die. [00:29:40] Speaker 2: And to make matters worse, a new threat has recently arrived on this coast. [00:29:46] Speaker 5: Another of the theories that's being explored are the impact of orcas that are hunting great white sharks in South African waters. [00:29:53] Speaker 2: Around the world, orcas, often known as killer whales, prey on great whites. My friend has sent me footage of an incredible showdown. [00:30:06] Speaker ?: Thank you. [00:30:08] Speaker 2: Just the speed that that thing comes through. Orcas ram the sharks, paralyzing them before eating the most nutritious parts. [00:30:20] Speaker 5: Many of us have, myself included, always thought great white sharks were the top, top dogs. And it's an emotional experience to see them as the prey. [00:30:32] Speaker 2: Just a few days ago, we heard a report to the east that there was a group of orcas spotted. That doesn't sound like good news for us then. [00:30:40] Speaker 5: When the orcas come through, the great white sharks in that area are not seen for a while. It's very possible we might be witnessing that documented flight response. [00:30:54] Speaker 2: Great white sharks in South Africa seem trapped in a perfect storm of natural and human challenges. Which is why I'm so desperate to find them now. But with time running out, it becomes a waiting game as more bad weather tests our patience. You've seen that cartoon where it's a bunch of different pictures and it's what my mum thinks I do. So here it would be us with just like giant shark jaws everywhere. The next picture is what the public thinks I do, which would be, I don't know, rainbows and reaching killer whales. An amazing time. And this would be the picture for what we actually do, which is just sat in the rain, sulking, not seeing anything. The days pass, and although we have eyes everywhere, nothing. All right, swan. Come on, shark keeps. And the cloudy water conditions aren't helping either. Let's put this away, that is a waste of time. There is no viz and no sharks. As I dive once more into the shallows, I question whether I'll see a great white here at all. Let alone dive with one. We are sat here doing what we do every day, looking down into the water, hoping that a spooky black shape is going to appear. But so far they are not appearing. I'm in an amazing place surrounded by whales and seals and birds. Why am I so grumpy? I'm starting to think it's definitely important to focus on a journey rather than a destination. The lack of great whites has everyone concerned. But then nature gives us a wake-up call. We found a southern right mother and calf. They're right in the shallows there. And they're still there. Yeah, they're really chill. So we're going to see if we can build them underwater. [00:33:47] Speaker 4: Let's just watch, see what direction they're going in. If they're just milling, a nice long swim in will be a ride. [00:33:52] Speaker 3: You're happy with that, OK? [00:33:54] Speaker ?: Yeah. [00:33:56] Speaker 2: The bubbles from scuba can be noisy for whales. So we're free diving to stay quieter. [00:34:03] Speaker 6: Setting up. [00:34:11] Speaker 4: Whales turning towards the divers. Oh, Bertie's just next to that mother. [00:34:18] Speaker 2: When I see the mother's eye, I realize why she's so relaxed. She's asleep. Whales sleep by shutting down half their brain at a time. It means they can rest while staying alert to dangers. I've never seen a calf riding on its mother's tail before. And then, more playmates arrive. Big pot of dolphins. [00:35:12] Speaker 4: I wonder if they're going to go play with the whales. I wonder if they're going to go play with the whales. Mother, mother and calf. [00:35:36] Speaker ?: This is wild. [00:35:36] Speaker 2: Such a close encounter with multiple mothers and calves surrounded by dolphins is a first for me. [00:35:48] Speaker ?: I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. [00:35:55] Speaker 2: I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. I'm amazed we were allowed to join the party. Maybe this magical scene is the reward for our perseverance. Just when I thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous, it did. The second whale just came piling through, and it was another mother and calf. If this is what marine protection does, creates these havens for so many special endangered species, well, we should probably be doing a lot more of it. You know, if you're passionate and you're persistent, Mother Nature might not give you what you want, but she'll give you something else that you never could have imagined. And that was it. So, in this case, we had an incredible stroke of blood, and I was firmly reminded why I'm very lucky to do what I do. Our time in South Africa is almost up. We've seen some extraordinary wildlife. But I can't help worrying about the great whites. And then, Pat gets the call we've been hoping for. Bert, here, we must bite. [00:38:18] Speaker 7: There's a white shark at Beacon Island. Go. Go away. Normie, have they still got eyes on that fish? Where did you say it was, Pat? Down at Central Beach. That was the last sighting. Central Beach, that's near to where we launched from. Correct. That's near to where we launched from. [00:38:31] Speaker ?: Correct. [00:38:54] Speaker 7: Pat, where exactly did you tell us? Just fly straight into the B.I. Bay, and then go along the front of the rocks where that seal got gobbled. Where was that last sighting, Holland? So, it came down Central Beach, and it's heading along the reef there down the back of the Beacon Island. [00:39:10] Speaker 4: Got it, got it, got it, got it. There it is, right in the back line. Okay, sharks in the back line. [00:39:26] Speaker 2: So, it is a great white, and it's just cruising along the back line where the waves start to break right along the beach in the shallows. Did you hear that? That was the horn going off. And the flags are changing on the beach as well. And that is the signal for surfers and bathers to get out of the water. And, contrary to popular belief, sharks don't want to eat people. Because of the way these great whites hunt, going in really hard, really fast, if they have misidentified a human for a seal, by the time the shark's realized, "Oh, this isn't what I wanted to eat." It's too late for the human, they've got catastrophic injuries. The shark leaves the main tourist beach behind, and heads towards the seal colony. I've been waiting for this moment to dive with a great white. But the churned up surf just makes it too dangerous. The shark is right here underneath the drone. And it is in less than three feet of water. I'm sure it's using the waves and the turbulent water as cover, so it can sneak up on a seal. Okay, James, okay, maybe two, three hundred meters ahead of you now, there's two seals playing. Okay, a hundred meters from the seals. You've got to be 20 meters from those seals. [00:41:31] Speaker 4: Oh, no, the shark's turning. The shark's heading away from the beach. [00:41:36] Speaker 2: Heading away from the seals? Yeah, I've gone up to the deep. The shark was coming up on two seals, just frolicking in the surf. And then right at the last minute, just went, "Nope, not interested." It seems strange that a predator would ignore a juicy meal. But as we get closer, we see why. It's a youngster. Seals are a big challenge for a great white this size. It's a stark reminder that great whites need other prey besides seals to survive. Tantalizing glimpse. Well, it's good to know at least they exist. It's seriously impressive to see the shark spotters in action. This system works. Get the people out of the water. Keep the sharks and the humans separate while the shark's in the area. Keeps people safe. And ultimately, keeps the sharks safe, too. Great whites are famous for being killing machines. But I've learned that they're actually very fragile. And I'm pretty sure my mum will be relieved I didn't manage to dive with one. We've spent far too long worrying about great whites when we should be worried for them. What gives me hope is that this community has responded to tragedy in such a positive way and shown that humans and sharks can share the ocean. A healthy ocean needs great whites. Understanding more about their behaviour is going to be critical to their survival. I've been obsessed with wildlife since I was a little kid. But there is still so much to learn about the natural world and our place in it. I may not have had the close encounter I was hoping for, but I leave inspired. To be continued...