Marine scientists have confirmed that an incredible scene that went viral in late July 2022 is about the first film about a hunt from a group of killer whales to a great white shark, a species that, until now, was not believed to be the target of cetaceans due to their obvious chances of losing the battle.
Three killer whales are seen in the shoot brutally ripping out the liver of a five meter long great white shark, while the other two observe the once blue waters of Mossel Bay, South Africaturn red with blood before the shark sinks to the bottom of the sea.
“Such behavior has never been observed before, and certainly never from the air,” said the study’s lead author. Alison Townershark specialist at the Marine Dynamics Academy near Cape Town, in a statement published Wednesday in the trade journal Ecology.
The pictures show the killer whales chase and kill a great white shark. Scientists believe three others died during the hunt. “Killer whales are very intelligent and social animals. Their group hunting methods make them incredibly effective predators,” she explained. Simone Elwen, marine mammal expert and also author of the study.
Until now, it was known that killer whales they usually attack other shark species but there was hardly any unfinished evidence of attacks on great white sharks. The study does not provide answers on the reasons for this behavior.
According to the authors, the fact that killer whales appear to hunt in groups suggests that the practice is expanding, as previous studies have established that black and white animals can learn from each other for “cultural transmission”.
Sharks have disappeared from the area after the attack, and for the next 45 days, only one great white shark was sighted, according to the article.
This would confirm, the authors say, that sharks react by running away. In previously observed cases, sharks were generally abandoning key old habitats, which has consequences for the ecosystem and tourism, the marine biologist said. alison kockfrom the national parks of South Africa.
The wild story was captured on camera by a drone flying overhead and now offers scientists a better understanding of why these large predators they seem to be fleeing this region which was once the shark capital of the world.
Killer whales are known to feast on the liver of a great white shark, such as the organ is large, fat and has become a favorite dish of whales: In recent years, at least eight shark carcasses, none of which were great whites, were washed ashore off the coast of the Western Cape in 2017, and all were missing livers.
Great whites normally congregate in the waters around South Africa due to the large population of sea lions Cape, which are the main food source for the predator.
However, there are fewer and fewer white sharks due to killer whales attacks, the only animal on earth capable of defeating the Great Bank.
Scientists have found evidence that sharks are cracking open and eating their fatty livers. Scientists speculate that this behavior may be behind the disappearance of great white sharks False waters of the bayoff Cape Town.
Killer whales are likely to attack shark livers directly because they are high in fat and delicious. “People do the same thing with butter or bacon. That’s why we love fatty foods. The same thing happens to killer whales, they find it very tasty,” she says. Scott Andersonseasonal researcher Monterey Bay Aquarium
And the white shark liver is a key organ in keeping the huge fish alive. And it is also a hearty meal for killer whales, as on average, It weighs between 250 and 280 pounds of rich, fatty meat.
Source: Clarin
