Mindboggling Video of Great White Sharks Feeding off Whale Carcass

 

Holy Smokes!  Some scientists that were out looking to tag some basking sharks were in for a surprise encounter with a group of great white sharks feeding off the carcass of a humpback whale calf.  The scene held the scientists in awe.  Eight or more great white sharks and hundreds of sea birds were feeding off the carcass of the dead whale calf according to livescience.com.

 

Nature in Action

 

David Wiley, a research ecologist at Stellwagen Bank told livescience.com, “It was nature in action.  Everything dies for something else to consume.  Nothing goes to waste.”  To witness a shark-feeding frenzy is a rare sight.  I can’t imagine coming across a GROUP of great white sharks.  Happily, the onlookers were scientists armed with tags.  The scientists were on the lookout for basking sharks but took the opportunity of a lifetime to tag five of the sharks with acoustic sensors which will aid the NOAA scientist to track the movement and behavior of the sharks.

No part of the Whale Will Go to Waste

 

While it is a bit sad to see a dead baby whale, it’s all part of the circle of life and good to know that nothing goes to waste in the ocean.  The sharks had a good meal, the sea birds feasted, and when the carcass sinks to the bottom of the sea, the bottom feeders will have a meal and the cycle of life in the ocean will continue.  The plus side is that five more great white sharks have been tagged in our area and maybe we can learn a bit more about their behavior.

 

 

 

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