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Report details possible killer whale predation of hammerhead sharks
Last Update: 05 March 2007 04:12 PM
1 comment(s)
Author: Matt Segal ( segal3 )
Related Link: Killer Whales vs Hammerheads
An article posted on DivePhotoGuide.com from the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals reveals a possible predatory interaction between killer whales and hammerhead sharks off the coast of the Galápagos islands.
The observation describes an encounter with three killer whales:
A dead female hammerhead shark could be clearly seen lying on the sandy bottom. It was estimated to be 2.5-3m long, compared to the size of the killer whale hovering approximately 3m directly above it. The whale was motionless, in a vertical position, with its rostrum oriented towards the shark...the divers moved closer to attempt to identify the shark species and noticed that the killer whale had begun to chase a small (approximately 40cm) hammerhead shark.
The authors request to be contacted if any photographers or videographers have captured the behavior they describe.
They should contact Max Benjamin of Walindi Resort. Max has the those very pics hanging on the wall.
Posted by Drew Wong on 03/05 at 06:12 PM