Part of a shark's role in the marine environment is that of scavenger, and in the accompanying video several large tiger sharks can be seen devouring the carcass of what's believed to be a humpback whale on Wednesday in Queensland, Australia.
Because of the bleached color of the whale's flesh, some thought it might be the Migaloo, a famous white humpback commonly seen off North Queensland. But it turns out the bleaching was caused by the sun. The whale, perhaps a sub-adult measuring about 30 feet, is believed to have washed ashore on Palm Island inside Onion Bay about a week ago.
The Townsville Bulletin reports that there have been as many as 10 tiger sharks feeding on the whale at a given time. The last known sighting of Migaloo was July 26 near Cape Flattery, northwest of Cairns.
-- Video is courtesy of the Townsville Bulletin
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