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Killer whales' "killer combinations" are killing South African great white sharks one by one. The coast of South Africa is famous for its abundance of great white sharks. But now, it seems, because of some killer duo, the situation has begun

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Killer whales' "killer combinations" are killing South African great white sharks one by one.

The coast of South Africa is famous for its abundance of great white sharks.

But now, it seems, because of a certain killer duo, the situation is starting to change completely.

Recently, a study by the South African non-profit Organization Del Island Conservation Trust found that since 2017, two killer whales have slaughtered at least eight great white sharks in the same area, thus driving many great white sharks away.

The Great White Sharks seem to be terrified of the killer duo and avoid their familiar homeland.

A pair of killer duo begin to wipe out South Africa's great white sharks!

The killing and escape of a great white shark was confirmed off the coast of Gansbaai in South Africa's Western Cape province.

The coast of Gansbaai is famous for seeing great white sharks, which have been visited by tourists from all over the world and have undergone cage diving (entering the cage and observing the shark's behavior up close).

However, around 2015, two killer whales came to the same area, marking the end of a great white shark paradise.

It's no secret that killer whales attack sharks and whales, but the techniques used to kill both are outstanding.

Since their arrival, tragic great white shark carcasses have been washed up on the beaches of Gansbay.

The carcass of a great white shark slaughtered by two killer whales

As a result, a follow-up study by the Dale Island Conservation Trust research team found that the killer duo slaughtered at least eight great white sharks in the roughly five-and-a-half years that began in 2017.

Shark carcasses killed by killer whales are easy to identify because they exhibit very typical damage.

In addition, a review of sightings and shark marking data shows that 14 great white sharks have long fled the coast of Gansbaai.

Individual great white sharks left Gansbay for weeks to months after confirming the killer whale attack and did not return, according to the research team.

It was an unusually long period, as there were only two great white sharks missing before the orca attack: one week in 2007 and three weeks in 2016.

This suggests that the Great White Shark in Gansbay was clearly afraid of killer whales and fled to safety.

The battle scars of the two killer whales are easily recognizable.

The most notable feature is that one of the dorsal fins is bent to the right and the other to the left.

To this end, locals nicknamed the two killer whales "starboard" and "starboard".

The starboard and starboard side appear to be specifically targeted at the liver part of the great white shark, and most of the corpses have their necks and abdomen torn off.

Sharks basically have fatty livers, and this fat is also used as a swim bladder. Fatty shark liver is a treat for gourmet killer whales.

Will it affect a wide range of ecosystems?

This study is more than just a story of "the decline in the great white shark population in Gansbay".

Lead researcher Alison Toner notes:

"Ecosystems are all about balance."

For example, the disappearance of great white sharks has left their prey, the Southern African fur seal, unrestricted, increasing their chances of preying on endangered Cape penguins.

Although still in the hypothetical stage, killer whales are thought to reduce the impact of great white sharks in the ecosystem more extensively than expected. ”

According to locals, the number of great white sharks that can be seen in the area has decreased significantly in recent years.

"Because great white sharks grow slowly and take a long time to mature, a rapid decline in population numbers could have a negative impact on the survival of the species," urban dwellers said.

However, killer whales cannot simply be called bad people.

Human overfishing has had a significant impact on the decline of great white sharks, so the habitat of great white sharks has shrunk, which may have changed the way killer whales hunt.

The research team plans to continue follow-up investigations to elucidate the long-term effects of killer whale predation on ecosystems. #所见所得, very scientific ##knowledge ##我在头条做科普 #

Killer whales' "killer combinations" are killing South African great white sharks one by one. The coast of South Africa is famous for its abundance of great white sharks. But now, it seems, because of some killer duo, the situation has begun
Killer whales' "killer combinations" are killing South African great white sharks one by one. The coast of South Africa is famous for its abundance of great white sharks. But now, it seems, because of some killer duo, the situation has begun
Killer whales' "killer combinations" are killing South African great white sharks one by one. The coast of South Africa is famous for its abundance of great white sharks. But now, it seems, because of some killer duo, the situation has begun
Killer whales' "killer combinations" are killing South African great white sharks one by one. The coast of South Africa is famous for its abundance of great white sharks. But now, it seems, because of some killer duo, the situation has begun

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