| Substrate inspection |
Juveniles and subadults less than 2 m TL, sites 1 and 2 |
89 (S), mean duration 8.5 seg (4-15 seg) |
A shark approached a hole or crevice poking the substrate with its rostrum. The shark inclined the body forward and introduced its head and/or anterior part of the body in the hole performing abrupt lateral undulations to adjust the anterior part of the body to the hole and keep the body in position. |
Reef flat and front reef, 0.5 to 1.5 m |
| Sardine blitz |
Juveniles and subadults less than 2 m TL, sites 1 and 2 |
47 (S, C), mean duration 15.1 seg (4-30 seg) |
One or more sharks approached the sardine schools exhibiting usual “patrolling behaviour” and when at a distance of less than 2 m, suddenly stroked the fishes with short bursts of speed towards a small part of the school. |
Reef and rocky flats, sandy bottom with sparse reefs and rocks, 0.5 to 1.5 m |
| Sand hunting |
Subadults larger than 2 TL and adults, sites 3 and 4 |
12 (C), mean duration 37.7min (17-38min) |
Sharks larger than 2 m TL were initially observed performing “patrolling behaviour” at the deeper near-shore section of the beach (~ 1.5 m depth), immediately beyond the surf zone. Similar to the “sardine blitz” described above, but sharks only attacked the schools of sardines in the swash zone (0.3-1 m depth) immediately after the waves have broken. |
Sandy beach, 0.3 to 1.5 m |