Orca versus Great White: when “news” is actually really old
by TheDorsalFin on Nov.29, 2009 at 8:49 pm, under Shark News Stories
An incident which occurred at the Farallon Islands, on October 4, 1997, involving an orca attack on a white shark has somehow become “news” this weekend, at least on the ABC News website. The incident which was documented on video (and has been available on YouTube for years) is currently being featured on National Geographic Channel’s Wild series in an episode titled “The Whale That Ate Jaws.”
I have no idea why this story is back in the news this weekend (except for the fact that there’s a NatGeo show about it), although it is an interesting story, nonetheless. Also of interest was the resultant observed behavior of white sharks around the Farallon Islands after the predation occurred. According to a National Wildlife Magazine article the white sharks typically found around the Farallon Islands from September to December simply “vanished” after the orca attack on the white shark. The sharks did not return until the next fall. For a more in-depth discussion of the October 1997 event, as well as information about the “L.A. pod” of orcas and a possible second orca attack in 2000, check out the Showdown at Sea from National Wildlife Magazine.
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Nat Geo video: Did killer whale attack great white shark using tonic immobility? - The Dorsal Fin
September 8th, 2010 on 12:42 pm[...] a theory that a killer whale from the L.A. Pod of orcas might have used tonic immobility during a 1997 attack on a great white shark at the Farallones. The theory suggests that the orca (identified as “CA2″) potentially rammed the [...]
November 30th, 2009 on 12:59 am
I was unaware that the White and the Megaladon shared the oceans until I read the Showdown at Sea piece from National Wildlife Magazine.
Very interesting post, seems that it is likely that the shark with the 2 large bite wounds from October may have have been the victim of an Orca attack.
November 30th, 2009 on 6:38 am
Maybe it’s related to these more recent images of whale on shark action.
August 24th, 2011 on 8:40 pm
That date’s wrong. It was October 4th, 1997. I was on the whaler with Pete.
August 24th, 2011 on 8:52 pm
Will,
Thanks for the info. I’ve got the date corrected, now.