A massive great white shark washed up on the coast of South Africa had just killed a dolphin before a larger predator caught them both.
Biologist Alison Towner shared photos on social media following the 15-foot-long shark’s necropsy, confirming that “killer whale predation” was the cause of its disappearance.
Scientists were called to the scene after a resident came across the mutilated carcass at the mouth of the Nyara River on May 28.
The next day, veterinarians completed the examination of his corpse and retrieved a common dolphin from his stomach, carefully cut into four pieces.
The most telling signs of an orca attack were the teeth marks on the creature’s head, as well as an even more pressing clue: a missing liver.
Scientists have documented a strange phenomenon: orcas kill sharks and tear out their livers through a clean cut in the shoulder.
After a carcass was discovered on May 28, scientists determined the shark had been killed by an orca based on teeth marks on its head and an even more telling clue: a missing liver.
This is the 14th confirmed case of white shark predation by killer whales in South Africa since 2015 (photo: carcass washes up in Mossel Bay, South Africa, in 2022)
This “significant” discovery constitutes the 14th confirmed case of white shark predation by killer whales in South Africa since 2015.
Scientists believe orcas target sharks in the area for their livers, and growing evidence suggests this behavior is becoming more common.
Five great whites washed up on Gansbaai without their livers in 2017. It was not until May 2022 that drone footage captured two male orcas hunting sharks and removing vital organs with “surgical precision”.
Killer whales were nicknamed port and starboard because of their dorsal fins, which curve to the left and right, respectively.
Last February 19, seven gill shark carcasses washed up near Towner’s home without their livers, leading her to immediately suspect the couple’s existence.
Biologist Alison Towner has been studying this bizarre hunting behavior for years.
His suspicions were confirmed in June, when Starboard was spotted chasing a great white near Seal Island, killing it in less than two minutes and surfacing near a tourist boat with its liver in its mouth.
Orcas are very social and often work together to catch large prey like sea lions, whales and sharks.
However, growing evidence of solitary killings, as in the case of Starboard, is shedding light on hunting abilities previously unknown to researchers.
In most cases, the rest of the sharks’ organs remained intact while their livers were removed through a clean incision in the shoulder.
One theory is that orcas evolved behavior to protect their teeth from the rough skin of sharks because the liver alone is enough to provide a complete meal.
Hunting behavior has been the subject of several research papers, and while it fascinates scientists, they also recognize its dark implications for the marine ecosystem.
As the population of great white and sevengill sharks, both apex predators, is continually depleted or forced to migrate, this could have a dramatic effect on the South African coast.
Prey species may experience an increase in numbers, disrupting the delicate natural balance.
There is also a risk of a phenomenon known as mesopredator release, in which populations of medium-sized predators increase rapidly once larger carnivores disappear.
The 15-foot-long carcass washed up at the mouth of the Nyara River, revealing that the animal had eaten a dolphin shortly before its disappearance.
A pair of male orcas, nicknamed Port and Starboard because of their left and right angled dorsal fins, have been documented engaging in strange hunting behavior.
Towner and other experts continue to monitor orcas’ hunting behaviors and work to better understand them.
Starboard’s solitary cull of the great white was featured in an article published in the African Journal of Marine Science in March.
Whale conservation expert Simon Elwen noted that killer whales “can quickly learn new hunting techniques, alone or from others.
Towner called the results “revolutionary.”
“The astonishing predation off Mossel Bay, South Africa, represents unprecedented behavior that highlights the killer whale’s exceptional skills,” she said.
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