An enormous great white shark has washed up on a beach with one part of its body missing. Experts believe an even larger sea animal is responsible.
This new discovery comes as scientists continue to study the fascinating evolution of sea life – particularly why a number of large sharks keep being taken down by other animals.
A Stunning Discovery! Resident Finds Dead Shark, While Researchers Offer More Detail
At the end of May, a South Africa resident was stunned to find a 15-foot great white shark washed up on a beach at the mouth of the Nyara River.
Veterinarians examining the shark’s body found parts of a dolphin its stomach. Officials believe the shark had just finished eating a dolphin when it was attacked and killed by another animal.
The One Body Part The Shark Was Missing
Veterinarians examining the shark’s body found that one part of the shark’s body was entirely missing.
Upon examining the body, no sign of the shark’s liver could be found. Therefore, experts concluded the shark was killed for its liver, which was then eaten by a bigger predator.
Researches Believe They Know Who Killed The Shark
Experts think they know who killed the Great White Shark. They believe an orca, commonly known as a killer whale, was responsible for taking down the giant shark.
While no one can be 100% sure of the killer’s identity, as there were no eye witnesses, they remain confident of an orca’s responsibility.
Scientists Present Evidence For Orcas’ Guilt
Scientists believe there are a number of reasons to believe an orca must have been responsible for taking down the shark. Firstly, tooth marks found on the shark’s head matched that inflicted by orcas in other attacks.
However, the surest sign of an orca’s responsibility was that the shark’s liver was taken. This is something orcas have begun to do in recent years.
Why Would An Orca Want To Kill A Shark?
Scientists have only noticed orcas taste for liver in the last few years. These killer whales don’t target any other part of the shark – or even eat any other shark organs.
Scientists are still trying to work out why orcas _only _want to eat a shark’s liver. One theory is that by cutting the sharks at their shoulders, orcas can easily remove the liver without damaging their teeth. Another is that orcas simply like the sharks nutrient rich livers.
Drone Footage Confirms Scientists’ Theory
The mystery of these attacks against sharks was ignited in 2017 after five great white sharks were found dead and without livers. Quickly, experts began to point the finger at Orcas.
Suspicions were confirmed in 2022 when drone footage showed two male orcas hunting and killing sharks. During this, they removed the sharks’ livers with “surgical precision.”
Orcas Are Brutally Effective Killers
Once they saw the drone footage, scientists were able to closely examine the orcas actions. One of the killer whales, Starboard, was filmed killing a great white shark in less than two minutes.
Starboard removed the shark’s liver with surgical precision and then proceeded to show it off to a nearby tourist boat.
A Growing Trend
Until 2017, scientists did not suspect orcas of having committed these types of killings. However, it is now believed that this has become a growing trend among killer whales.
Since 2015, orcas are known to have killed 14 great white sharks in South Africa alone – taking their lives in the process. Experts have said this is a “significant” discovery.
Could These Killings Become The New Normal?
In bad news for great white sharks, scientists have said this trend may continue and become the new normal.
This is because killer whales can “rapidly learn new hunting techniques on their own or from others,” according to whale conservation specialist Simon Elwen.
