This is a rare photo that was captured by Clare Jacobs, an amateur ornithologist, and for good reason: the seal chose a rather clever defensive behavior, which had never before been observed or photographed.
With their powerful claws and legs, eagles will stop at nothing when it comes to diving for prey at sea. In Newtown Harbor on the Isle of Wight in England, a white-tailed eagle swoops was about to dive towards the surface of the water which was at high tide, to attack a gray seal. The latter had already started to growl to warn of his displeasure and try to dissuade the eagle, but the bird ignored these warnings, continuing its action against him. He then had to find another way to defend himself, and that’s when everything became incredible. According to a study by the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, published in the journal of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society, it is even an “extraordinary event”.
Indeed, the defensive behavior of the seal against the eagle had never before been observed, and this time, it was captured in a photo by an amateur ornithologist, Clare Jacobs, who was able to immortalize the scene. “I’m always excited to take photos of eagles. But capturing such a rare, never-before-seen interaction made my year!” she said.
We see the seal suddenly emerge from the water just as the eagle is above it. The animal takes the opportunity to spit a powerful jet of water at its predator in order to scare it away. Clare’s daughter, Megan Jacobs, a paleontologist, said it was “the first record of an interaction between these two main predators and the first report of gray seals using spit as a means of defense or deterrence against an aerial enemy.
A rare and fascinating case, she believes. “I’m glad we have photographic evidence, as spitting is typically only seen in humans, camels, llamas and alpacas, as well as some snakes, to deliver venom. It can also be used to capture prey by the Archer fish”, detailed the specialist.