White sharks washed ashore may have been killed by orcas

A female shark nearly 5m long first washed up near Gansbaai.

An orca, a killer whale, is believed to have killed two white sharks found washed ashore at Frankskraal near Gansbaai this week.

The first is a female shark nearly 5m long.

Marine biologist, Allison Towner says this is the fifth white shark carcass and the largest to wash up in Gansbaai since 2012.

On examining the shark, biologists found her liver was missing.

Previously recorded behaviour, seems to point to them being the cause.

We were joint experts, and his opinion was that yes it is quite conclusive given the fact that a liver is missing that it could well be contributed to orca. Allison Towner, Marine Biologist at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust

They are known to specialise on very sharp species for particularity the liver, the liver is a very oily organ and very nutrient dense, and it seems they are quite a connoisseur when it comes to predatory behavior with sharks. Allison Towner, Marine Biologist at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust

Another white shark has been found on Franskraal beach today at 5pm. Our team went straight there to recover the 3.4m... Posted by Marine Dynamics on Thursday, 4 May 2017

Click on the link below to listen to the full interview...

This article first appeared on 702 : White sharks washed ashore may have been killed by orcas