Half-eaten 9-foot great white washed up in Australia, experts blame killer whales

Killer whales hunt, kill great white shark

Shark Week’s Alison Towner, a marine biologist based in South Africa, secured drone footage of three killer whales hunting a nine-foot great white shark. Courtesy of Discovery’s Shark Week

CANBERRA, Australia - A half-eaten great white shark carcass was found washed up off the coast of Australia.

The animal had a huge chunk of its flesh removed from what appeared to be bite marks, according to a local bait and tackle shop which posted photos of the shark on their Facebook.

"This is equal parts cool and terrifying," Portland Bait and Tackle wrote in an Oct. 18 Facebook post. "This 3 meter (about 9 feet, 8 inches) white shark, washed up on the beach ... after being attacked."

While the terrifying image might spark many to believe something larger and scarier than a great white shark might be lurking in the deep, experts believe a killer whale could be behind the attack.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), killer whales are the "ocean's top predator," growing in sizes of up to 32 feet in length. In contrast, the largest great white's reach roughly 22 feet, NOAA reports.

Wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta told Nine News Sydney pointed out that the chunk of the missing shark is where the liver was, a delicacy among orcas.

"In this case they are really interested in shark liver," Pirotta said.