August 29, 2025 — A new study confirms what scientists have known for years: dusky sharks are eating seals off the coast of Nantucket.
There are few known predators of seals in the Atlantic Ocean, but scientists can add one more to the list after a team of researchers captured what is believed to be the first aerial video showing a dusky shark killing and eating a grey seal near Nantucket.
“It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve been involved with as a shark scientist because it really changes the way we see this species,” said Megan Winton, a senior scientist at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and the lead author of the study.
Two years ago, in July of 2023, boaters and beachgoers took photos and videos of sharks preying on seals off Great Point, and scientists later confirmed that the sharks in question were dusky sharks, not white sharks, as initially thought. This was notable because, until then, there was no evidence that dusky sharks ate seals.
One study from South Africa had found a seal in the stomach of a dusky shark, but at the time, scientists thought it was the result of a scavenging event, rather than part of the shark’s usual diet.