Incredible moment shark beaches itself to devour giant whale carcass
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. A tiger shark frantically risked its own life by beaching itself while attempting to eat a giant whale carcass.
The humpback whale carcass washed up on Ponta Beach, in southern Mozambique, on the morning of September 11.
Lorrayne Gaymer, 38, captured the moment, as the four-metre shark was spotted on the shoreline, attempting to swim back out toward the open ocean.
After providing meals for hundreds of locals, the tiger and bull sharks then took their share of the dead animal’s meat and blubber.
In total, locals estimated the carcass attracted 30 tiger sharks, 20 bull sharks and up to 10 dusky sharks, providing much entertainment to the local village children.
“Hundreds of people benefited from the whale meat and blubber,” Ms Gaymer said.
“As the tide changed the whale carcass drifted towards the beach and this is when the sharks risked their lives to get a final feast from it.
“Initially, a rescue attempt was made for the whale, but after the locals of Ponta contacted a whale expert it became clear that the whale was very sick and shouldn’t be moved.
“It had passed away, and as the tide went out, hundreds of locals of Ponta all came down to take their share.
“Ryan Daly, a shark researcher, estimates that there was a staggering number of sharks that came to feast on the carcass.
“The body stayed on the beach for two days and on day three we dragged it out to sea.
“On day five the carcass broke into pieces – some sank and some ended up back on the beach further along the coast.”
-With Caters
