As of: March 12, 2024, 9:32 p.m
By: Marcus Giebel
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If you don't want to hear, you have to feel: After the sea eagle doesn't react to the gray seal's barking, it gets wet.
© Clare Jacobs/University of Portsmouth/dpa
A bird watcher observes a fight between a seal and an eagle on the Isle of Wight.
She takes her photo at the best moment.
Portsmouth – The wildlife is always good for surprises.
When it comes to sheer survival, many creatures outgrow themselves.
Or, in desperation, they perform actions that they don't even seem capable of.
Sometimes the fear that the meal in question could end up in the wrong stomach is enough.
Seal spits on eagle: bird watcher sees “unprecedented interaction”
This is how the attack that Clare Jacobs happened to see can be classified.
According to the
University of Portsmouth
, the bird watcher in Newton Harbor on the Isle of Wight saw a sea eagle that appeared to swoop down to the surface of the water.
Just before he reached it, an adult gray seal appeared in the water.
The predator from the depths didn't seem to like the uninvited visit from the air at all.
At first the seal gave a warning bark.
But since this didn't put the eagle away, she went to plan B.
And that amazed Jacobs.
Because the seal spit a jet of water straight up onto the bird in front of her eyes.
Luckily, Jacobs got her camera on it at the right time and captured the special moment.
“I always get really excited when I take photos of eagles.
But witnessing such a rare and unprecedented interaction enriched my year,” said Jacobs.
Video: Angler films fight between seal and shark - then he himself is in danger
Why does seal spit on eagles?
“Could be a strategy in the fight for loot”
Her daughter Megan works as a paleontologist at the
School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences at the University of Portsmouth
and is co-author of the study on this unusual seal behavior.
“Sightings of gray seals and sea eagles are now common on the Isle of Wight, but interactions between these two species have not previously been reported,” she points out.
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It is the first record of an interaction between gray seals and sea eagles.
It had never been reported before that a seal would spit at an enemy from the air as a defense or deterrent.
“Spitting could be a strategy to get ahead of the sea eagle in the fight for prey, because both are in direct competition for fish resources,” adds the scientist.
There can only be one: the gray seal and the sea eagle are apparently after the same prey.
© Clare Jacobs/University of Portsmouth/dpa
According to the report, the sea eagles died out on the Isle of Wight in 1780, but a reintroduction program began in the summer of 2019 using young from Scottish breeding pairs.
Since then, the seals have had to expect competition from the air when it comes to their meals.
Expert on spitting attack by seal on eagle: “Calls into question the defense mechanisms of animals”
For Megan Jacobs, her mother's discovery is nothing less than a sensation: “Spitting is an unusual behavioral activity in vertebrates, which is why this event is so fascinating.
It challenges our existing perception of animal defense mechanisms.” Previously, only humans, camels, llamas and alpacas had been observed spitting.
In addition, snakes would release their poison in this way and archerfish would catch their prey in this way.
A report of the observation was also published in the
Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society Journal
.
An angler films a seal's fight for survival and becomes involved himself.
Other footage shows an orca killing a great white shark in just two minutes.
When an aggressive sea eagle attacks a Chihuahua and a woman, she admits: “I was very scared.”
(mg)