Fears of what lurks in the deep as half-eaten Great White shark found on beach

22 October 2023 , 21:59

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The half-eaten Great White washed up on Tuesday (Image: Credit: Ben Johnstone via Pen News)

After a half-eaten great white shark washed up on an Australian beach, questions are circulating about what fearsome beast could tear up the lethal predator.

The 10-foot great white was discovered by Ben Johnstone who runs fishing supplies shop Portland Bait and Tackle in Victoria. After coming across the shark he described the huge, half-devoured beast as missing its “whole underbody” but still “pretty fresh”.

"Pretty much the whole underbody was missing from the pectoral fins, to the base of the tail. The body was still pretty fresh - it had probably washed up that morning,” he explained. "I'm pretty certain it was killer whales - they kill sharks just for the livers, it's the only part of them that they eat,” added Mr Johnstone.

It is suspected an orca tore apart its belly to get to the liver (Credit: Ben Johnstone via Pen News)

Fisherman and fishing supplies shop owner Ben Johnstone found the shark (Credit: Ben Johnstone via Pen News)

Mr Johnstone’s theory that an orca was the culprit appears likely as they have a history of eating sharks. They go for the shark’s liver specifically because it is full of fat - which would explain why just the underbelly of the shark was torn up.

"As for what happened to the rest of the body, once the orcas are done, the rest of the intestines, stomach etcetera would've fallen out, as there's nothing there to hold them in,” Mr Johnstone went on to explain. Australian news publications also reported that a pod of orcas had been seen around the area just two days before.

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While most experts agree that killer whales were behind the attack, they cannot say for sure. Trophic ecologist at Flinders University Lauren Meyer told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that it was “not 100% clear”.

"We see this with things like humpback whales, where killer whales come in and actually eat the tongue and leave the rest of the whale,” she said. "We certainly see that they prefer the liver of white sharks, mako sharks, bronze whalers and seven gills, and even tiger sharks."

In Australia and New Zealand there have been nine recorded interactions between great white sharks and orcas. "I'm not surprised to see this in a place like Portland," Ms Meyer added. "We know there are white sharks that go through that area and use it as an important corridor. We also know that it's a place for killer whales where they hunt a number of different prey items."

With the carcass collected and samples sent to government agencies and academics, some feel such discoveries remind us of the world of the unknown in the ocean. Mr Johnstone, an experience fisherman, said: "I don't know what they are, hence why there mysteries," he said. I was intrigued more then anything. I found it pretty cool that something like that happened in our local waters."

Alex Croft