Amazing photos capture the moment Orcas, also known as killer whales, attacked and killed a Great White off the shores of Hartenbos.
LOOK AT THESE AMAZING PHOTOS THAT WERE CAPTURED
Christiaan Stopforth of Drone Fanatics SA shared the photos on social media.
“The reason that killer whales would target the liver of sharks is that it is full of oil and is therefore full of calories, in addition to being big and high in vitamins.”
Christiaan Stopforth
ALSO READ:Two orcas have killed at least EIGHT Great White Sharks off the coast of SA
HERE ARE THE PHOTOS:
Last year, researchers noted a decline in sharks in the Gansbaai coast area since 2017. This comes as two orcas have killed at least EIGHT Great White Sharks by June 2022.
THE TWO ORCAS TRIGGER THE FLIGHT RESPONSE TO FEAR OF SHARKS
According to a study published in the African Journal of Marine Science, the shark carcasses washed up without their livers and hearts or with other injuries distinctive to the orca pair.
Shark experts at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust suggested the orcas trigger the ‘flight’ response to the fear of sharks when nearby.
The report furthermore states that this, in turn, results in their rapid, long-term emigration from the area, creating an opportunity for an influx of new predators to deplete other species.
ALSO READ: Beloved father killed by a shark at Plettenberg Bay identified
14 SHARKS WERE TRACKED FLEEING THE AREA WHEN ORCAS ARE PRESENT
“The research is particularly important, as by determining how large marine predators respond to risk, we can understand the dynamics of coexistence with other predator communities.
“These dynamics may also dictate the interactions between competitors or intra-guild predator-prey relationship.” Senior White Shark biologist Alison Towner
In a study published today in the African Journal of Marine Science, Towner reports that she has tracked 14 sharks fleeing the areas where orcas are present over a five-and-a-half-year period.
This accompanied a dramatic decrease in visual sightings in certain Western Cape Bays, where they have dominated over many years.
ALSO READ: SEE: HUGE whale washes up on Cape Town beach
