South African killer whales murder sharks, eat their livers
July 01, 2022
- Two male orcas murdered at least eight great white sharks.
- Orcas are generally known as serial killers, tearing apart both tiny fish and blue whales.
- Researchers notice daily shark sightings declined by six on average to one following murders.
Two male orcas, Port and Starboard, have murdered at least eight great white sharks and ate their livers near the Gansbaai coast in South Africa.
The sharks were found by researchers washed up on beaches in shreds, some with missing hearts.
Orcas are generally known as serial killers, tearing apart both tiny fish and blue whales, Live Science reported.
Following one dead shark sighting on Gansbaai beach, whale watchers began to see more of the grisly sighting.
In 2016 and 2017, five great white sharks were found dead on beaches, all of them were shredded to pieces and were missing livers except one.
Shark sightings decline
Following the gruesome murders, researchers noticed daily shark sightings declined by six on average to one.
Scientists believe the killings of great white sharks might be linked to the decline of great white sightings in recent years.
"What we seem to be witnessing though is a large-scale avoidance strategy, mirroring what we see used by wild dogs in the Serengeti in Tanzania, in response to increased lion presence," said researcher Alison Towner, a senior biologist studying white sharks at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust in South Africa, in a statement.
