Love hurts! Huge 13ft great white shark is discovered off Nova Scotia coast with giant bite marks on its head which researchers believe he suffered during ‘violent mating’
- Researchers from OCEARCH captured a male great white shark measuring 13-feet during a tagging expedition off the coast of Nova Scotia on October 4
- The shark was inflicted with two serious bite marks on its head, which researchers believe were the work of even larger predators
- OCEARCH Chairman Chris Fischer says the injuries are likely to have been sustained during ‘violent mating’
Researchers have discovered a 13-foot great white shark with two large bite marks on his head that they suspect were inflicted by an even larger predator.
Crews from the non-profit OCEARCH uncovered the shocking injuries when they pulled the 1,164 pound beast – whom they named Vimy- out of the water during a shark-tagging expedition off Nova Scotia earlier this month.
‘It was clear that something had just grabbed his entire head,’ OCEARCH Chairman Chris Fischer told McClatchy news group on Wednesday.
‘It was a very large animal that grabbed it, something significantly bigger… anything that can grab an animal like that by the head is pretty impressive’.
Researchers theorized that a fresh bite mark on top of Vimy’s head had only been sustained within the previous week, and that the culprit was likely to have measured in at 15-feet.
Fischer says his crews even spotted a 17-foot shark in the same vicinity shortly before capturing Vimy, but it escaped before it could be tagged.
Researchers discovered a 13-foot great white shark with two large bite marks on his head during a tagging expedition off Nova Scotia earlier this month. Marine biologists believe the injuries were likely sustained during the violent mating process
Marine biologists say the two bite marks – both the fresh one and another likely to have been sustained last year – may have come during competition with another male shark over a female.
Alternatively, Vimy have been trying to mate with a larger female shark who bit him in the head before taking off.
‘We do know that shark mating is very violent. Sharks biting each other in the head is not a new thing. This is an everyday part of their life,’ Fischer stated.
After tagging Vimy on October 4, the research group has been able to tabs on his whereabouts – with the tracker showing him swimming at least 600 miles south.
After tagging Vimy on October 4, the research group has been able to tabs on his whereabouts – with the tracker showing him swimming at least 600 miles south
Meanwhile, OCEARCH released a video of the successful expedition, during which they managed to tag several other sharks – including an 11.8-foot Great White
As of Monday, he was travelling in the Atlantic east of the coast of New Jersey.
Meanwhile, OCEARCH released a video of the successful expedition, during which they managed to tag several other sharks – including an 11.8-foot Great White.
The organization has tagged 417 animals since 2007, aiding in the research of the habits and practices of marine life.
OCEARCH has tagged 417 animals since 2007, aiding in the research of the habits and practices of marine life