Orcas are ‘ripping open’ great white Sharks for their livers, hearts and testicles

As the climate continues to change, scientists are studying the impact of rising ocean temperatures on shark migration patterns and behavior, revealing surprising adaptations in these resilient creatures. It turns out that great white sharks are not always the hunter. The feared killers of the ocean are prey for orcas. Autopsies have been done on six bodies of the great white sharks that washed up on the coast of South Africa over the years and the results show they were attacked by killer whales for their nutrient-rich organs.

Marine biologist Alison Towner helped perform post-mortems on six sharks that washed up on the shores of Gansbaai, and said orca pods had physically ripped open the skins just below the throat in a precise and refined way in order for the organs to slip out. There have been reports of killer whales attacking several species of sharks off the South African coast since 2017 and the deaths were eventually linked to two killer whales in the area. Towner said the autopsies on the great whites took hours to perform, with the team meticulously taking measurements from each part of the shark.

If there are any signs of trauma such as boat injuries or fishing lines that could have been the cause of death meant you could discount orca predation.

When the shark is lying there with its 132-pound liver ripped out, it is pretty obvious.

The attacks on the great whites were identical to similar attacks on seven gill sharks in the area, just under the surface of the skin is the perfect place to open up and access and extract the liver. Two of the great whites had their hearts removed and one male had his testes removed. Because the organs are very close in the body cavity, the killer whales were learning to get hold of the pectoral fins.

It is like a ripping motion, the liver is oily, slippery, and would naturally slide out so the whales could come along and share it.