A young white shark appeared in the vicinity of Sil Island in False Bay, which was a rare sight for the shark diving team from Simon's Town, as such an observation had not been made on the island for eight years.
The shark was spotted on Wednesday morning near the vessel of African Shark Eco-Charters, located north of the island. It swam near the surface of the water and approached the boat while the crew observed the event. The operator shared video footage showing the young shark moving near the boat before approaching a lure on a line.
For the team, which operates in waters not previously known for their abundance of white sharks, this was an unusual occurrence. African Shark Eco-Charters stated that this was the first white shark they had encountered at Sil Island since 2018.
The team plans to return to Sil Island on Thursday to determine whether the shark was alone or if there are more white sharks in the area. Director Karen Lawrence reported that the team is celebrating this sighting but awaits further individuals.
Previously, Sil Island was considered one of the most famous feeding grounds for white sharks in False Bay, where sharks hunted Cape fur seals. However, after 2015, the number of such sightings began to sharply decline. Scientific studies recorded a significant decrease in the white shark population on Sil Island in the following years, with standardized surveys since mid-2018 recording no individuals.
Nevertheless, white sharks have not completely disappeared from False Bay. The publication Cape Argus reported in December 2023 that four sharks were confirmed in the bay over the course of one week: two were sighted in Muizenberg, one in Smithwinkel Bay, and the fourth near the Roman Rock lighthouse.
Weekend Argus continued to monitor these observations in January 2024, noting that Shark Spotters had previously recorded an average of 205 white shark sightings per year between 2010 and 2016, before the numbers dropped sharply. At the time, Shark Spotters noted that it was too early to judge whether these four instances were isolated appearances or if white shark activity in False Bay was increasing.