Bronze whaler shark swimming off Fish Hoek beach

Bronze whalers, or bronzies as they are known locally, are a common species in the coastal and shelf waters around South Africa. They are relatively large, reaching a maximum length of just over 3 metres, and feed on a range of prey, including teleosts, cartilaginous fish and cephalopods. They are most frequently seen in the shallow inshore zone along the northern coast of False Bay in the warmer months, where they prey primarily on seasonal shoals of bait fish. This species is known to form large feeding aggregations in certain areas, such as during the annual sardine run on the east coast of South Africa. While they have not been implicated in any unprovoked attacks on people in South Africa, caution should be exercised when bronzies are present in the inshore zone, particularly when there are large schools of fish in the area and the sharks are feeding.
Video © Shark Spotters