Hammerhead shark hunts and kills reef shark in rare drone footage

A videographer captured rare drone footage off the coast of southeast Florida this month, filming a hammerhead shark hunting and killing a small reef shark.

“Sharks eat sharks… My coffee didn’t wake me up nearly as much as this footage did,” Marissa Wil, a fisherman and ocean videographer, wrote in the caption of the August 14 Instagram post.

From a distance, Wil initially thought all the splashing was dolphins hunting fish. However, as she piloted the drone closer, she realized, “That’s a big f*cking shark!”

As the footage begins to roll, the splashing surf subsides enough to reveal a powerful hammerhead shark smacking the water with something. When a (much smaller) reef shark darts out from under the hammerhead and runs off, the larger shark easily catches up. The reef

Wil’s footage offers a fascinating look at how these sharks prefer to hunt. As the hammerhead shark tries to catch smaller fish, it circles and sprints (hammerheads can swim up to 25 mph). Finally, the hammerhead performs a whiplash, moving its powerful tail back and forth as it shakes its prey and bites it in half.

“After the hammerhead shark ripped off the reef shark’s tail, its head sank into some rocks,” Wil said. Outdoor living. “The hammerhead shark circled for about ten minutes and then ate the remainder of the reef shark before leaving the area.”

“Hammerhead” is a collective name for nine different species of sharks with the iconic shaped head (the eye projections are actually cartilage, not bone). The largest of these, the great hammerhead, can grow up to 20 feet long and is known to hunt in shallow waters (like the one pictured in the video) and brackish bays, as well as in deeper water. While greater hammerheads often prey on larger fish, smaller sharks, and squid, great hammerheads specialize in hunting and eating large stingrays.

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Although they are relatively common in Florida, great hammerhead sharks are listed as a prohibited species for fishing in the state. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife CommissionWhile other sharks are more likely to bite a human if unprovoked, hammerheads still rank seventh on the list.

“My apologies for the choppy flying,” Wil adds, referring to a few camera angle adjustments during the clip. “I forgot to take a breath.”

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on August 29 with commentary from Marissa Wil.

Natalie Krebs