Killer Whales on attack mode, rip out Great White Sharks' liver
Killer Whales this season seem to have another agenda on their mind. They are killing Great White Sharks left-right, and centre and not only that but are eating their livers, according to a new report from the South African government.
As if we are not going through an entire pandemic or struggling with mental health, now Killer Whales want to also shine.
Scientists are assuming this could be the reason that sharks have seen a steep decline in numbers over the past few years because they are being hunted down.
Carcasses of at least seven Great White Sharks have washed ashore in False Bay, near the coast of Cape Town, since 2017, imagine that and all the carcasses teeth marks, which scientists say came from killer whales.
Apparently the whales are tearing into the sharks and ripping out their fatty, oily livers, we guess that's their treat of the day.
Great whites were once very common in the area and were one of the popular attraction for tourists. But since 2017 there's been a huge drop in the number of sightings. At first it was said this might be due to illegal hunting and climate change but to our shock, the decline can mostly be attributed to Killer Whale attacks.
South Africa's Minister of Environmental Affairs, Barbara Creecy commissioned a report into what has been causing the drop off in shark numbers in the area, this report stated the disappearance of the sharks was 'more likely a shift in distribution, as a result of recent orca occurrence and predation, rather than being related to the fishing activity.'
This decline in great white sharks in the area has had a devastating impact on the shark-diving industry and has caused immense disappointment to the hundreds of tourists who visit our shores to see this great predator.
Earlier this year, Marine biologist Alison Towner, who helped perform autopsies on the washed-up carcasses, appeared on the Shark Talk YouTube where she revealed some grim details about the deaths.
Marine biologist Alison Towner explained:
Just under the surface of the skin is the perfect place to open up the shark and access and extract the liver.
I think two of the animals had both the heart removed and one male had his testes removed, because they're very close there in the body cavity. We think the two killer whales were learning to get hold of the pectoral fins. We don't know for sure. It's like a ripping motion. The liver... it's oily, very slippery, it would naturally slide out so they could come along and share it.