A gray seal recently took a unique approach to letting an eagle know it was flying too close.
A new study from the University of Portsmouth — published in Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society journal — shared photos of the shocking interaction that bird watcher Clare Jacobs caught on camera in Newtown Harbor on the Isle of Wight.
According to the British university, Jacobs was near the water during high tide in Newton Harbor when she saw a bald eagle swooping across the ocean and swooping toward the water’s surface.
As the bird of prey approached the water, the gray seal emerged from below and surfaced. First the marine mammal barked several times at the eagle, then, in an “unprecedented defensive tactic”, the seal spat a stream of water straight at the bird.
Thousands watch as a pair of eagles argue over child-rearing tactics as they wait for the eggs to hatch
This is the first time the seal behavior has been observed and recorded, according to the University of Portsmouth.
“I’m always thrilled to capture eagle photos. But to capture such a rare and never-before-seen interaction made my year!” Jacobs told the university he spotted the scene.
A gray seal barks at a passing eagle eagle.
Clare Jacobs
After capturing the moment, Clare knew who to tell: her daughter Meg Jacobs, a palaeontologist from the University of Portsmouth’s Faculty of Environment, Geography and Geoscience.
Meg then co-authored a University of Portsmouth study on the behavior of these two predators and what they might mean for the species.
“This is the first record of an interaction between these two top predators and the first report of gray seals using spitting as a means of defense or deterrence against an aerial enemy,” Meg shared in a University of Portsmouth release.
The body of a grandmother orca whale targets a great white shark in a fierce ocean battle — watch!
“Spitting could be a strategy to exclude white-tailed eagles from competition for prey since they are in direct competition for fish resources,” she added.
Meg also mentioned that spitting is not commonly seen in vertebrates except humans, camels, llamas and alpacas. The encounter her mom documented “challenges our existing perceptions of animal defense mechanisms.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Another unusual interaction with animals recently attracted attention in South Africa. In early March, scientists shared details of an orca whale attack on a great white psina.
The killer whale managed to attack and kill the shark on its own in less than two minutes. Scientists have recorded multiple orcas attacking a great white shark, but this is one of the first widely observed cases of an orca whale fighting off one of the predators alone.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education