[guide.chat] news killer whales and sharks fight
- From: vanessa <qwerty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "GUIDE CHAT" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2012 11:13:59 -0000
Who won the Jaws versus Killer Whale death match? Shark comes off second best
By Rick Dewsbury
Swimmers might think twice about cooling off at this beach.
The normally placid waters were transformed into a spectacular feeding ground
as a group of orca whales attacked a school of sharks.
The sharks had been swimming close to the shore on Boxing Day at the Blue
Cliffs Beach in Tuatapere, New Zealand as the orcas - also known as killer
whales - stalked them through the sea.
Moments later the hungry whales sent the feared fish scattering through the
waves as they sprung their assault.
In a spectacular display of natural predators at work, the whales herded the
sharks toward the shore to force them into shallow waters.
One shark desperate to escape from the enormous beasts even beaches itself on
the sand. It is seen desperately flapping around in a bid to escape the whales,
which were unable to move onto the sand.
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The incredible feeding frenzy was captured on film by residents who said they
had never seen a display of such aggression from the orcas.
As witnesses gathered on the shore, one plucky dog couldn't resist trying to
get involved and can be seen approaching the stranded shark before barking at
it.
Eyewitness David Evans said he was told there were whales in the area and raced
to the beach to record the spectacle.
Fierce: One of the killer whales moves through the water as the outgunned
sharks are herded towards the sand
Fierce: One of the killer whales moves through the water as the outgunned
sharks are herded towards the sand
Stranded: A shark flaps on the sand after deliberately beaching itself to avoid
being eaten by the enormous beats
Stranded: A shark flaps on the sand after deliberately beaching itself to avoid
being eaten by the enormous beats
'We all piled in the truck and grabbed a camera, grabbed the video and went
down to the beach and just started shooting,' Mr Evans told 3News in New
Zealand.
It is thought that there were around six whales and six sharks in the water.
Although one of the sharks had a nasty gash to its side, it's not known if the
whales managed to catch their dinner.
'That particular [injured] shark had been beaten up by the orcas,' resident
Tracy Thomas told stuff.co.nz.
'There were heaps of sharks just off the beach, swimming in towards the beach
then turning around and going back out.'
Ruff justice: A dog belonging to a local resident ventures up to the shark to
get involved in the action
Ruff justice: A dog belonging to a local resident ventures up to the shark to
get involved in the action
The dog, known as Flea, walks around the defenseless shark which cannot go back
into the depths as the whales are still lurking
The dog, known as Flea, walks around the defenseless shark which cannot go back
into the depths as the whales are still lurking
SHARK Vs WHALE
Shark
Size: 10ft average
Weight: One tonne average
Speed: 15 mph
Prey: Seals, sea lions, whales
Whales
Size: Up to 45 ft
Weight: Up to 35 tons
Speed: 30 mph
Prey: seals, sea lions, large fish, grey whales
Peter Robertson said his dog, Flea, had gone into the water when it became
excited by what was happening.
He added: 'It would appear the whales were fighting the sharks ... the sharks
were coming ashore because they didn't want to be in the water.'
Orcas are significantly stronger, faster, heavier and larger than even the most
ferocious of sea beasts - the great white shark.
It is not known what species the attacked sharks were. However, they were much
smaller than the orcas and would have come off worse in most clashes.
Orcas feed on seals, sea lions, large fish and sharks - although it is rare to
see such a aggressive display of hunting so close to the shore.
However, the hunting tactics and prey species vary between different pods of
orcas.
Jim Fyfe, a marine ranger at the Department of Conservation Otago office, said
that sharks are 'well within the range' of orcas.
from
Vanessa The Google Girl.
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