What devoured a 3m shark?

Listen to this article Australian scientists have quite a puzzle to solve. It turned out that the great white shark they tagged and observed ended up as… lunch for a much bigger predator! Could it be that a real monster from the deep is hiding in the waters surrounding Australia? As part of the project,

ByMarcin Pawelczyk

Published: June 9, 2014 - 10:54

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 02:34

Listen to this article

Australian scientists have quite a puzzle to solve. It turned out that the great white shark they tagged and observed ended up as… lunch for a much bigger predator! Could it be that a real monster from the deep is hiding in the waters surrounding Australia?

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As part of the project, the researchers tagged a healthy and aged shark in order to track its path and use the results in their work. How surprised must they have been when, after only 4 months, the tracking device was blown by the waves onto the seashore, just 4km from where the tagged shark had been released?

From the data recorded by the transmitter, a picture emerged that simply has to leave you stunned. The readings showed a sudden rise in temperature from about 8°C to 25°C, combined with a sudden plunge to a depth of 580m!

Based on these traces, the scientists’ conclusion leads to a simple one – something devoured the object under observation, something very, very large, since it decided to hunt down the almost 3m colossus…

The temperature rise was interpreted as the shark finding its way into the digestive system of another creature. However, it is difficult to pinpoint what could have fed on such a large predator. Scientists investigating the case have accepted the version of another, giant cannibal shark. However, when you consider that the largest recorded shark of this species was 7.2m long, and usually white sharks are no more than 5m long, you may have some doubts about this theory.

This unusual case is looked at in detail by documentary filmmakers from a highly reputable research centre – the Smithsonian Institute. They make a production entitled “The hunt for the super predator”, which develops threads and draws on an earlier documentary of the ABC station – “The search for the ocean’s super predator”.

“When I was first informed of the readings from the tracking device, I was totally shocked!” – said director Dave Riggs.

“The question that arose not only in my mind but also in the minds of everyone who was involved was of course – what kind of creature devoured a 3-metre shark? What kind of monster preys on large predators?” – Riggs continued.

The docu-drama is set to hit US screens on 25 June 2014.

Source: news.com.au
Photo: Lwp Kommunikáció via flicker CC2.0