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Vaquita. Photo Thomas Jefferson

Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning

Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita...
blue whale

Whale fossil from Peru may have been heavier than blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may...
Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Humpback whales breach in synchronisation

Humpback whales are renowned for their incredible acrobatic displays, but a family in the USA...
Long-finned pilot whale

Unusual activity witnessed before pilot whale stranding

Just days after a pod of long-finned pilot whales stranded on an island in the...

Are orcas responsible for great white shark deaths in South Africa?

Scientists in South Africa have been examining the bodies of three great white sharks that have washed up off the coast of Gansbaai on the western Cape.

The sharks, up to 5m long, had their oil-rich livers missing, with the most likely explanation that they were probably preyed on by orcas.

The two predators are often found sharing the same habitat where there is large available prey such as seals, and some populations of orcas are known to feed on other species of sharks. However, incidents involving orcas hunting great whites have only been recorded on a few occasions, most notably in California and Australia.

Like many sharks, Great Whites are endangered and according to researchers from the Dyer Island Conservation Trust who have carried out a photo-id study, the population in the area is thought to be no more than around 1,000 sharks. The organisation has seen increased orca sightings in the area in recent years.