50 sharks tear apart a humpback whale

A school of about 50 tiger sharks swarmed around a humpback whale carcass to fight over its meat off the coast of Queensland.

50 sharks tear apart a humpback whale

Tiger sharks surround a humpback whale carcass. Video: Queensland Environment and Science

The footage of the sharks fighting over food was captured by a drone off Hervey Bay in Queensland, about 240 kilometers north of Brisbane. Queensland Environment and Science then sent staff to the area and shared the video on Twitter on June 27, according to Newsweek .

“We are reminding people to stay away from stranded or dead animals after Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service officers filmed 50 tiger sharks feeding on a humpback whale carcass off the coast of Hervey Bay,” local authorities said. Whale carcasses are a major food source for many marine predators, providing a wealth of fat and protein to the marine food web, according to manager Daniel Clifton.

"While sad, the death of a whale creates a food source for many other scavengers including fish, sharks and marine life. We are very lucky to be able to experience this natural process at Great Sandy Marine Park," Clifton shared.

Dead whales sink to the ocean floor, feeding scavengers for months. Officials determined the humpback died of natural causes, such as illness, and was not killed by a shark. Clifton said there were multiple photos of the whale swimming along the coast over the past two days.

This is the fifth whale to die in the area in the past week. Two other humpbacks and two Bryde's whales were found dead or stranded on the beach. While the number of deaths may seem high in such a short period of time, officials say it's a sign that the whales are doing better. Barry McGovern, a researcher at the Pacific Whale Society, said more whales are dying naturally as their numbers increase due to conservation efforts.

Clifton reminded people to stay away from dead marine animals that wash up on shallow beaches because sharks are known to be nearby. Stranded marine animals can also carry infectious diseases and should be avoided.

An Khang (According to Newsweek )

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