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

60 Minutes - Newsmakers Great white sharks started disappearing from a former hotspot years ago, but scientists can't agree why .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-60-minutes.jpg'); } By Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper 60 Minutes Correspondent Anderson Cooper, anchor of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," has contributed to 60 Minutes since 2006. His exceptional reporting on big news events has earned Cooper a reputation as one of television's preeminent newsmen. Read Full Bio Anderson Cooper, Michael H Gavshon April 12, 2026 / 7:17 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google 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. 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. Chris Fallows 60 Minutes We sa...