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SHOCKING footage has appeared to show a lone orca whale mauling a great white shark to death in an “unprecedented” attack.
The killer whale was captured obliterating the predator off the coast of Mossel Bay in South Africa last year.
SWNS
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SWNS
The footage was captured by nearby tourists on boatsSky NewsAnd now the footage, captured by nearby tourists on a boat, revealed the moment of the deadly ordeal.
The orca whale can be seen dragging a great white shark before ripping its organs out.
Experts said the whale “gripped the left pectoral fin of the shark and thrust forward with the shark several times before eventually eviscerating it”.
The orca soon reappeared with “a bloody piece of peach-coloured liver in its mouth”.
Orcas usually go for liver while hunting down other predators.
The reason they target the liver is because it contains large amounts of a compound called squalene – which is important for the synthesis of certain chemicals in the killer whale’s body.
While orcas have previously been known for attacking sharks and other whales, their attacks have always been in groups – and have taken more than a couple of hours to finish.
But on this occasion, it took just one killer whale to maul the great white shark – and within just two minutes.
The great white shark is believed to be a juvenile that weighed around 100kg and measured 2.5m.
The unusual event has now been documented in the African Journal of Marine Science.
Dr Alison Towner, from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, described the attack as “unprecedented” and “astonishing”.
She said: “Killer whales, or orcas, usually team up when they hunt, although they can hunt solitarily.
“The unusual aspect was witnessing Starboard, the killer whale, hunting a white shark alone and in a remarkably rapid timeframe.”
File picture of a mother orca with her calfOrcas - the killer whales
ORCAS are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family and are the world's most power predators
Although they never attack humans, the deadly killers can take down on large groups of whales, hence the name killer.
What makes them a unique marine mammal is that they often hunt in deadly pods and family groups of up to 40 individuals – and feast on fish, penguins seal lions – and even seals.
The carnivores can grow up to 32feet long and weigh up to six tons – and are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring.
With an average lifespan of about 82 years, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator near cold and coastal areas.
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