A pod of about 50 tiger sharks surrounded the carcass of a humpback whale, fighting over its meat off the coast of Queensland.
Tiger sharks surround the carcass of a humpback whale. Video : Queensland Department of Science and Environment.
Footage of sharks fighting over food was captured by a drone off the coast of Hervey Bay in Queensland, about 240 km north of Brisbane. The Queensland Department of Science and Environment subsequently dispatched officers 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 officers filmed 50 tiger sharks feeding on a humpback whale carcass off the coast of Hervey Bay," local authorities said. According to officer Daniel Clifton, whale carcasses are a major food source for many marine predators, providing fat and protein to the marine food web.
"While sad, the death of a whale creates a livelihood for many other scavengers, including fish, sharks, and other marine life. We are very fortunate to be able to experience this natural process at Great Sandy Marine Park," Clifton shared.
Dead whales sink to the seabed, feeding scavengers for months. Authorities determined the humpback whale died of natural causes such as illness, not from being hunted by sharks. Clifton said there were many photos of the whale swimming along the coast over the past two days.
This is the fifth whale to die in the area this past week. Two other humpback whales and two Bryde's whales were found dead or stranded on beaches. While the number of whale deaths seems high in such a short period, authorities believe it's a sign they are thriving. According to Barry McGovern, a researcher at the Pacific Whale Society, an increasing number of whale deaths are occurring naturally due to population growth resulting from conservation efforts.
Clifton reminded people to stay away from dead marine animals washed ashore on shallow beaches because there are many sharks nearby. Stranded marine animals can also carry infectious diseases, so touching them should be avoided.
An Khang (According to Newsweek )
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