Death under the surface - Cape Fur Seal predating on a Southern Giant Petrel in Walvis Bay, Namibia

Abstract

Cape Fur Seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus have been observed to predate upon several species of endemic seabird in South Africa and Namibia, including Cape Gannets Morus capensis, Cape Cormorants Phalacrocorax capensis, Bank Cormorants P. neglectus, Crowned Cormorants P. coronatus and African Penguins Spheniscus demersus (David et al. 2003, du Toit et al. 2004). Due to the high predation rate and small population sizes of several of these bird species, seal predation of seabirds can have negative impacts on the conservation status of these species (David et al. 2003, du Toit et al. 2004, Makhado et al. 2006).