A great white shark carcass that washed up near Portland, Australia in October was eaten and killed by orcas, according to researchers who examined the fish carcass.
The 16-foot-long shark was missing its abdomen, evidence that an orca was involved in its death. However, recent analysis of the carcass confirmed that killer whales, also known as killer whales, were the culprit.
Great white shark (Carcharadon Carcharias) are some of the most feared 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 cutting down prey. However, the shark decided the battle with the orca (killer whale), can grow over 30 feet (9.1 meters) long and weigh up to a whopping 22,000 pounds (9,979 kg). According to Whale & Dolphin Conservation US.
Killer whales tend to prey on great white sharks. Shark liver is rich in nutrients and is a delicacy for killer whales. Since 2017, 2 Killer whales named Port and Starboard It has been responsible for the deaths of at least eight sharks that washed up on South African beaches, seven of which were missing their livers. Video footage taken in May 2022 It also depicts a pod of killer whales hunting and killing sharks.In addition to great white shark liver, killer whales also like penguin breast and sunfish intestines, according to one researcher. Said scientific american.
Adam Miller, an aquatic ecologist at Australia’s Deakin University, told ABC Radio Melbourne that the bite was “very typical for killer whales and the shark’s wound was loaded with killer whale DNA.” .
Miller added that a pod of killer whales had been seen in nearby waters several days before the attack, and included three males: Bent, Tip, and Ripple.
Killer whales are more than just fearsome predators. They are intelligent animals with a complex, typically matrilineal social structure.in march, a team of researchers reported witnessing a pod of killer whales traveling with a pilot whale calf. It is unclear whether the orcas adopted the calf or kidnapped it.
But great white sharks aren’t their only enemy.Killer whales too Attack on boats off the coast of Europe And they are increasingly appearing in waters they don’t normally visit, such as Martha’s Vineyard and the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts. As previously reported by Gizmodo, Aggression toward human blood vessels may be a behavior learned from a female killer whale It was named White Gladys.
Researchers studying Port and Starboard orcas, shark-prey killer whales off the coast of South Africa, say one whale was not teaching other whales how to most effectively hunt great white sharks. I’m guessing.
It’s not clear how killer whales learned to target the livers of sharks, but one thing we can say is that they learned how to target the livers of great white sharks with clinical precision, and they learned how to target the livers of great white sharks with clinical precision. of sharks for birds.
more: Dangerous video of killer whale killing great white shark