A white shark carcass that washed up on a beach in the state of Victoria in Australia in 2023 has given researchers insight into how one of the ocean's most powerful inhabitants is hunted.
The 4.7-meter-long white shark – as long as a car – was missing its liver, and presented a unique opportunity to investigate who was behind the attack.
"The liver, digestive and reproductive organs were missing, and there were four clear bites," says researcher Isabella Reeves in a press release from Australian Flinders University.
By swabbing the bite wounds in search of DNA, the researchers were able to determine that the bite on the nutrient-rich liver was caused by orcas, while the three smaller bites were caused by broadnose sevengill sharks, a scavenger.
Previously, researchers have discovered similar behavior from orcas off the coast of South Africa and California.
"These findings are convincing evidence that orcas hunt white sharks in Australian waters, with a strong indication that they are after the liver," says Reeves.
The study is published in Ecology and Evolution.
