Giant great whites filmed swarming dead whale off NSW South Coast
When Lilly Pollard flew her drone over a floating dead whale carcass, she captured a spectacular dinner party attended by one of the ocean's biggest apex predators.
A giant great white shark was captured on camera by bodyboarder and drone pilot Lilly Pollard swarming a dead humpback whale off the coast of Bawley Point in New South Wales. The massive shark, estimated to be over 5 meters in length, was part of a feeding frenzy involving several other sharks, including tiger sharks, that had gathered around the massive carcass.
The whale, floating about 1.5 kilometers offshore, attracted a total of five sharks during the brief time Pollard was filming. The sharks appeared to be peacefully taking turns feeding on the whale, with the larger great white even cruising alongside a nearby 5-meter fishing boat. Marine researcher Duncan Leadbitter stated that such incidents are likely to become more frequent as whale populations grow and increase in size.
The last available estimate suggests that whale populations have returned to numbers similar to those prior to commercial whaling. Leadbitter explained that dead whale carcasses provide feeding opportunities for surface sharks and sustenance for other marine life for decades after sinking. He emphasized that councils, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and fisheries authorities are responsible for handling whale carcasses when they wash up on shore.
However, the lack of a clear policy for removing whales from the ocean has led to ongoing debate and uncertainty.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
