The video shows some great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) swimming in a kelp forest where cape seals (Arctocephalus pusillu) roam. Scientists say the discovery was unexpected on two counts.

First, previous studies have shown that great white sharks typically hunt along the edges of kelp forests at dusk and dawn, when the sun isn't too bright, so predators can ambush seals arriving at and departing from refuges. So, the researchers say, it's unusual for these sharks to hunt in kelp forests during the day. Secondly, it was previously thought that these large predators could not enter kelp forests, the researchers wrote in the study. [PHOTOS: Great White Shark Attack]

In May 2014, scientists conducted experiments near a seal colony on geyser rocks in the Dyer Island Marine Reserve off the coast of South Africa. They lured eight great white sharks with bait and then attached cameras to the sharks' backs. After recording an average of 28 hours of daytime footage of each shark, the cameras were separated from the animals, allowing researchers to collect and review the footage.

None of the footage showed the sharks successfully killing a seal (much to the researchers' dismay, and likely the sharks' as well). But one shark's footage shows 10 interactions with a seal. The furry mammals swam in packs and "responded to the shark's presence by blowing bubbles, swimming deeper into the kelp, or curling up on the seafloor, the researchers wrote in their study:

A still from the 10-minute recording shows a great white shark swimming through a kelp forest. The shark is hunting for seal horns, which are partially visible in Figures A through F (see red arrows). The seal responds by curling up on the bottom and blowing bubbles (Figure C). Below, note the shark's path through the kelp forest (Figure G) and the angle and depth of the shark's turn (Figure H). Even though the sharks didn't catch the seals, the kelp forest may still be a useful hunting ground for the sharks, the researchers said. The scientists need more footage to say that. In addition, the scientists say they were impressed with the sharks' agility in the kelp forest, where one great white shark in the experiment saw another great white shark, and cameras captured the encounter. (Biology Letters; Murdoch University)

The study shows for the first time that great white sharks regularly swim through kelp forests in search of prey. It was published yesterday (April 3) in the online edition of the journal Biology Letters. In the photo

: A great white shark shuffles along a Santa Cruz beach. Pictures of sharks and whales: glow-in-the-dark sharks

Originally published in the journal Life Sciences