Why Do The Great White Sharks Congregate Around Neptune Island?

Neptune Island shark diving is one of the 4 top spots in the world for great white sharks

The Neptune Islands are off the coast of South Australia, not too far from Adelaide. If you’re interest in why great white sharks congregate around Neptune Island to cage dive there, the place to go is Port Lincoln.

So why do the great white sharks congregate around Neptune Island? Great white sharks congregate around Neptune Island because of the fur seals. The Neptune Islands are home to one of Australia’s largest populations of New Zealand fur seals. It’s these fur seals form the main diet for great white sharks, as they are a rich energy source for these “high calorie burning” sharks.

It is between July to October is when the most sharks are recorded around the Neptune Islands.

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Why do the great white sharks congregate around Neptune Island in more detail?

One of the main food sources for great white sharks is fur seals. You’ll see that in each of the 4 best places to cage dive with sharks, what each dive site has in common is pinnipeds.

In the case of the Neptune Islands the pinnipeds are New Zealand Fur Seals and Australian Sea Lions. The Neptune Islands are home to one of Australia’s largest populations of New Zealand fur seals.

Great white sharks congregate around the Neptune Islands for the adolescent seal pups

Between the months of May to October each year is the time when the seal pups are beginning to venture away from the safety of the islands. These growing seals are learning to hunt for food themselves.

What is the time of year with the largest number of great white sharks around Neptune Island

The larger female great white sharks tend to arrive to the Neptune Islands from May to July, but it is between July to October when the most sharks are recorded.

Whilst there are great white sharks around the Neptune Islands year round, it is at this time that more great whites arrive to feast on these inexperienced seal pups.

Rich in protein and blubber, these seal pups provide a natural food source for the great white sharks. This is when you are more likely to see more of the natural predation events in the area.

Great white sharks hunt by surprising the fur seals from below. These huge predators lurk in the dark depths of the seas around Neptune Island, waiting for their opportunity to charge to the surface to stun their prey.

The speed at which the great whites charge the fur seals means they often breach the surface in a spectacular way.

More Reading: What are three interesting facts about the great white shark? (Plus 50 cool facts)

I hope you enjoyed this article about why do the great white sharks congregate around Neptune Island

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