The carcass of a great white shark washed up near Portland, Australia, in October and was eaten by killer whales, according to researchers who studied the fish’s remains.
The 16-foot shark was missing its stomach, a clear sign that killer whales were involved in its demise. But recent analysis of the carcass confirmed that orcas, also known as killer whales, were the culprit.
great white sharks (Carcharadon carcarias) are some of the most fearsome predators in the world’s oceans. Sharks can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg), and have hundreds of pointed, serrated teeth for chopping up prey. But sharks have met their counterpart in killer whales (Ursinus orca) which can reach more than 30 feet (9.1 m) in length and weigh up to 22,000 pounds (9,979 kg), According to the American Whale and Dolphin Conservation Organization.
Killer whales have a predatory penchant for large eggs. Shark liver is rich in nutrients, making it a delicacy for killer whales. Since 2017, two Killer whales named Port and Starboard It was responsible for the deaths of at least eight sharks that washed up on South African beaches (seven of which lost their livers), and Video footage taken in May 2022 It even shows a pod of killer whales hunting and killing sharks. Besides great white shark liver, killer whales also seem to like penguin brisket and sunfish intestines, says one researcher. Tell American Scientific.
Adam Miller, an aquatic ecologist at Deakin University in Australia, told ABC Radio in Melbourne that the bites were “quite typical of killer whales and the shark wounds were laden with killer whale DNA.”
Miller added that a group of killer whales had been seen in nearby waters in the days before the attack, including three males named: Bent, Tip and Ripple.
Orcas are not just fearsome predators. They are intelligent animals with a complex matrilineal social structure. in He walks, a team of researchers reported seeing a group of killer whales traveling with a pilot whale calf; It was not clear whether the killer whales adopted the calf or kidnapped it.
But the great whites are not their only enemy. Killer whales are too Attacking boats off Europe They are increasingly showing up in waters they don’t normally visit, such as off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Provincetown, Massachusetts. As Gizmodo previously reported, Aggression toward human vessels may be a learned behavior from one female orca Her name is White Gladys.
Researchers studying Port and Starboard, killer whales that feed on sharks off South Africa, have speculated that one of the whales may have been teaching others how to hunt great beluga whales more effectively.
It’s not clear how killer whales learned to target the livers of sharks, but one thing is that killer whales learned to target the livers of white sharks with clinical precision and leave the rest of the mauled sharks to the birds.
more: A bizarre video shows an orcas killing a great white shark
