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South AfricaExperts have studied photos taken in 2017 and found that a great white shark may have encountered a pair of orcas that specialize in eating the shark’s liver.
A 3.5m female great white shark has been injured after an encounter with an orca. image: Alessandro de Maddalena
A 3.5-million-tall female beluga whale may have survived an attack by an infamous pair of “mass killer whales” – port and starboard – with a large scar on the side of her body, life science Reported on March 27. Photographed by Alessandro De Maddalena, former associate professor of marine vertebrates at the University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy, in 2017 during an exploratory diving trip near Seal Island, off False Bay, South Africa the animal.
Years later, de Maddalena scrutinized the photos and found that the great white had some scars that looked like killer whale teeth. His analysis showed that the killer whale attempted to grab the shark from above, and the scratch marks indicated that the shark was subjected to a lot of force.New research published in the journal Journal of Marine Biology.
False Bay was once a thriving place for great white sharks. But in 2017, things started to change as great white shark numbers dwindled. By 2019, the sharks appeared to have completely abandoned this important sealing ground. While they could have disappeared due to a number of factors, scientists believe one of the main reasons was the presence of a pair of killer whales named Port and Starboard. They hunt sharks in the area for their livers.
Finding a great white that survived an early attack could help researchers establish a timeline for when the pair perfected their powerful hunting technique.
Port and starboard this pair of killer whales forages for fresh shark liver. image: Alison Kirk
Despite the recent spate of attacks, de Maddalena still believes killer whales cannot easily tear apart great white sharks. “I think the reality is much more complicated. Outside of South Africa, there have only been two documented cases of killer whales eating white sharks so far. This shows us that great white sharks are not a common prey. Usually killer whales,” he said explain.
Great white sharks have an amazing ability to heal themselves. This is the result of evolution and adaptation. De Maddalena said the great white’s wound may have been days or weeks old. “Perhaps the attacks fail because orcas are still perfecting their attack techniques. Or just like any predator, they may fail often,” he said.
In late February, experts found as many as 19 killed sharks washed ashore in one day, with the deadliest kills to date taking place on the port and starboard sides. “This is the largest number of sharks in the area, and killer whales took their lives in one wave. It’s also possible that there are more sharks that haven’t washed ashore,” said Alison Towner, a marine biologist at the University of California. California. Rhode Island said.
Qiu Tao (Theo life science)
