Sharks in the shallows

A highlight from my latest trip to the Maldives was being able to film a joint attack by black tipped reef sharks and jack fish on a school of bait fish. At this time of year the shallows around the Maldives are home to large schools of bait fish which inhabit the waters just off the beach to escape predators. The top predator on the reef is not the black tipped reef shark but the jack fish who are aggressive hunters and constantly patrol just offshore.  When an opportunity presents itself they swim at high speed at the school of fish and attack them head on with the sharks in tow. In this short clip they have isolated a small ball of bait fish against the groyne and then proceed to eat them. In their desperation to escape some of the bait fish jump clean out of the water. Watch out for the heron who flies in hoping to get in on the action.