From tourist hotspot to marine mystery: where are the great white sharks?

This is an updated version of a story first published on April 12, 2026. The original video can be viewed here . The coastal waters around Cape Town, South Africa, have long teemed with great white sharks. But about 10 years ago carcasses of these feared predators began washing up on beaches with their livers missing. Now it's hard to find any great whites. Tonight, a story that has all the hallmarks of a whodunnit: one that's fueled a bitter feud among scientists and conservationists who can't agree on who, or what, is the real culprit. As we first reported in April, they do agree on one thing: the great white sharks that once cruised these waters are gone. For as long as anyone can remember, the ocean off Cape Town was the best place in the world to see great whites. There were plenty of smaller sharks for them to hunt, and tens of thousands of seals which live on a small stretch of rock nearby called Seal Island. Early each morning, with a little luck, you could catch sight of these majestic predators flying out of the water. Until a little more than a decade ago Chris Fallows , a photographer and naturalist, used to see 250 to 300 different great white sharks a year. The images he took back then are amongst the most breathtaking of the natural world. Chris Fallows: It's a sight you-- you never forget. You know, I still kind of get that t-- tingly feeling to see the most spectacular shark on Earth now flying out the water. It was truly incredible to see. …