An orca tore apart a great white shark and consumed its liver shortly after the shark had eaten a dolphin.
Scientists concluded this after examining the carcass of the stranded great white shark in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Kevin Cole from the East London Museum collaborated with Alison Towner from Rhodes University to conduct the examination.
The carcass of the great white shark missing its liver washed up on the beach. (Photo: Kevin Cole).
According to Towner, local resident George Cotterell encountered the adult male great white shark at the mouth of the Nyara River on May 28. The examination results revealed a significant finding. The shark’s liver was missing, with only small tissue remnants remaining, indicating that the culprit was the orca. Orcas are known to favor the livers of great white sharks. Three studies have reported orcas targeting great whites to extract their livers in the Western Cape. This behavior had not been previously observed in the Eastern Cape, marking an important new observation.
The stomach of the shark also contained the remains of a one-meter-long dolphin, which had been cut into four pieces. Scientists confirmed that the dolphin was ingested shortly before the orca attacked the shark. The heart of the great white shark was intact, and reproductive signs indicated it was a mature male. Orca bite marks were also found on the surface of the shark’s head. The research team collected muscle tissue and other samples for genetic and dietary studies of the great white shark. The entire shark carcass was buried in a remote area after the examination. Cole conducted the examination with a team of volunteers documenting the process under Towner’s remote supervision.
This is the 14th great white shark killed by orcas and the 76th specimen of the shark family to fall prey to this species in South Africa since 2015. Scientists have not observed orcas killing great white sharks in any other part of the world. This behavior seems to be unique to the orca population in South Africa. In fact, two orcas named Port and Starboard are believed to be responsible for the attacks off the coast of South Africa in recent years.
Despite the challenges in documenting the interactions, the research team is striving to understand the dynamics between the two species to gain insight into predator-prey relationships in marine ecosystems. The collected samples will contribute valuable knowledge about their behavior and interactions with other predators.
