article_snippet: While most people will be familiar with images of seals being violently smashed out of the water snatched in the jaws of a shark, it appears some are exacting some revenge on the ocean predators.
article_snippet: Scientists have reported multiple cases of cape fur seals attacking blue sharks off the coast of South AfricaSouth Africa.
article_snippet: Scientists have reported multiple cases of cape fur seals attacking blue sharks and eating Scientists guts off the coast of South AfricaSouth Africa.
article_snippet: The behaviour has left marine biologists baffled as to why cape fur seals have turned to attacking Blue sharks .
article_snippet: The seals, which are normally prey for great white sharks, have been seen attacking and killing medium-sized blue sharks, devouring The seals, which are normally prey for great white sharks before leaving the rest of the carcass.
article_snippet: Divers also report seeing cape fur seals attacking other species of shark and rays.
article_snippet: The behaviour has left marine biologists baffled as to why the seals, which normally hunt smaller fish, have turned to attacking Blue sharks.
article_snippet: Blue sharks are around the same size as cape fur seals and it is thought to be the first time a seal has been seen preying on such a large predator.
article_snippet: Dr Neil Hammerschlaf, a marine biologist at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Astmospheric Science who was involved in the study, said cape fur seals appear to be eating the guts of Blue sharks as cape fur seals contain the most energy.
article_snippet: Blue sharks are around the same size as cape fur seals and it is thought to be the first time a seal has been seen preying on such a large predator.
article_snippet: Dr Neil Hammerschlaf, a marine biologist at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Astmospheric Science said cape fur seals appear to be eating the guts of Blue sharks as cape fur seals contain the most energy .
article_snippet: Seals are generally considered prey of larger sharks,and blue sharks have been observed pursuing juvenile and adult male Cape fur seals, though no kills have been witnessed,' Dr Neil Hammerschlaf, a marine biologist at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Astmospheric Science continued. '
article_snippet: Cape fur seals, like the one pictured, normally use Cape fur seals manoeuverability to prey upon smaller fish and squid. 
article_snippet: Scientists believe that Cape fur seals could also be attacking Blue sharks partly to remove competition for the fish Blue sharks normally eat . '
article_snippet: The consumption of large sharks by a Cape fur seal is a departure from the prevalent view of this species’ diet, which is generally reported to consist of a diverse diet of small fish species, cephalopods and birds. '
article_snippet: Fur seals have been known to mob great white sharks in large numbers but this is thought to be a defensive tactic to scare great white sharks in large numbers away from breeding colonies.
article_snippet: In this case Fur seals have been observed attacking the blue sharks, which are open ocean predators that can grow to be about 9ft long (2.82 metres), on Fur seals own.
article_snippet: Fur seals are common prey for great white sharks, which snatch Fur seals in Fur seals jaws from below (above).
article_snippet: Fur seals will often group together and mob Blue sharks, but this is thought to be a defensive tactic .
article_snippet: In 2012 he again saw a large Cape fur seal attack five blue sharks from a shoal of ten over a two hour period.
article_snippet: a large Cape fur seal attack five blue sharks from a shoal of ten over a two hour period were estimated to measure between 3.6ft (1.1 metres) and 4.5ft (1.4 metres) in length.
article_snippet: Mr Fallows said: 'a large Cape fur seal attack five blue sharks from a shoal of ten over a two hour period swim up to a large Cape fur seal attack five blue sharks from a shoal of ten over a two hour period and grab a large Cape fur seal attack five blue sharks from a shoal of ten over a two hour period.
article_snippet: It is almost as though a large Cape fur seal attack five blue sharks from a shoal of ten over a two hour period are not expecting this to happen and do not overly react to the seals advances. '
article_snippet: We have seen the seals feeding on three other small species of sharks.
article_snippet: We have also observed the seals feeding on rays. '
article_snippet: Scientists believe the seals could be attacking a large Cape fur seal attack five blue sharks from a shoal of ten over a two hour period partly to remove competition for the fish a large Cape fur seal attack five blue sharks from a shoal of ten over a two hour period normally eat.
highlights_snippet: Scientists report cape fur seals have been attacking and killing blue sharks .
  
highlights_snippet: cape fur seals are usually hunted and killed by great white sharks .
  
highlights_snippet: cape fur seals were seen to pounce on Blue sharks and then eat only cape fur seals guts .
  