Seals dive through school of menhaden fish off Maine coast
Dive in! Mesmerising drone footage shows seals tucking into a swirling school of thousands of fish
- A school of menhaden fish was spotted off the coast of Small Point, Maine
- Three seals attempted to catch the prey as they move as one in the waters
- Photographer Matthew Hanna recorded the spectacle using a drone camera
By William Cole For Mailonline
Published: 11:36 EDT, 9 July 2020 | Updated: 12:24 EDT, 9 July 2020
An amateur drone photographer has captured the moment a group of seals dived through a school of thousands of fish, attempting to catch a bite to eat.
In an incredible acrobatic display, the small menhaden fish twist and turn as one as they attempt to avoid the jaws of their natural predator.
The footage was recorded off the coast of the Phippsburg peninsula in Maine, a renowned spot for seals to congregate.
Matt Hanna, who lives in Small Point near the Atlantic Ocean spot, knows the area well and frequently watches the menhaden – also known as ‘pogies’ – jumping up in the waters.
Deciding to get closer look at what was going on, he sent up his drone over the ocean, and recorded the mesmerizing sight.
Thousands of pogies, in a school estimated to be 150 feet long by 50 feet wide shimmered just below the surface as three seals raced to catch their prey.
Incredible drone footage shows a group of seals diving through a giant swirling school of fish, attempting to catch a bite to eat off the coast from the Phippsburg peninsula in Maine
Medical physician Matthew, who does photography in his spare time, said: ‘You kind of know what’s going on out there. When you’re fishing, you get excited because it could be striped bass.
‘Sometimes, the fish look like a reef’, he told NBC Maine, ‘but then you see the reef is moving.’
Matthew had wanted a drone for years but only bought one in December.
Matt Hanna, who lives in Small Point near to the Atlantic Ocean, knows the area well and frequently watches the menhaden – also known as ‘pogies’ – ‘spouting up’ in the waters
‘I decided to launch my drone to get a perspective from above. When I angled the camera down I was amazed at what I saw.
‘The clarity, mesmerizing fluidity and beauty of wildlife in action blew me away. I decided I couldn’t keep this to myself and had to share.’
‘My son was next to me, and his jaw dropped too,’ he added.
Matthew added that he has snorkeled amid schools of menhaden, saying the fish ‘all seemingly work together to avoid you. They were also doing the same with the seals.’
Matthew added that he has snorkeled amid schools of menhaden, and that the fish ‘all work together to avoid you’
