Orcas killing fully grown adult Great White Sharks

[chaos]

(01-15-2019, 06:23 PM)Sanju Wrote:

South Africa

In May 2017, three great white sharks washed up dead in South Africa, and killer whales are believed to have killed them. On May 3rd a 4.9-meter white shark washed up dead, with a huge wound on her underside and her liver missing. Then the following day a 3.4-meter-long male white shark was found dead, his liver and heart missing. On May 7th a third white shark washed ashore; this time a 4.2-meter male with his liver missing. Scientists suspect killer whales are the culprits of these deaths, likely targeting shark livers for their richness in oil and nutrients. Although predation on white sharks has never been recorded in South Africa, certain ecotypes of killer whales have been observed hunting great whites off Australia and California. Accounts of killer whales hunting other smaller sharks show that they flip them over to induce the sharks' tonic or motionless state, enabling the whales to drown them and feed on them. This is likely the predation tactic these apex predators utilize on white sharks. The ecotype that killed these three sharks off South Africa is unknown via @discoverocean @wildorcinus @dyerict

There was an incident several years back off the coast of Monterey California.  An encounter between a great white and a mother and sub-adult Orca which resulted in the demise of the great white. What was particularly interesting, after the attack, there were no white shark sightings in Monterey bay for a period of time. The mere presence of Orcas apparently sent the resident GW shark population scattering for their very lives. How they communicated the presence of the orcas amongst them, is truly fascinating. Yes, Orcas are firmly at the top of marine predators. Reply