Huge 13-Foot Great White Shark Found With Bite Marks From Even Bigger Predator

This shocking picture shows the injury a great white shark sustained after it was bitten by an even bigger predator.

Vimy the shark was caught by OCEARCH - a research organisation that collects data from the ocean - earlier this month off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada.

The animal, which measures in at an enormous four metres and weighs a reported 1,164 pounds, was covered in scars, leading rescuers to believe he's been in a scrap or two.

It is believed that Vimy may have been bitten by an even bigger predator - which would take some doing.

US-based OCEARCH's founding chairman Chris Fischer said to the McClatchy news group: "It was clear that something had just grabbed his entire head.

"There was one healed wound on the lower jaw, perhaps from a previous year's bite. And another that was over and across the top of his head. It was a very large animal that grabbed it, something significantly bigger than 12 feet. Anything that can grab an animal like that by the head is pretty impressive."

It is believed that the teeth marks and jaw size would suggest that Vimy's attacker was two of more feet longer than him.

It's also been suggested that it might have been another male that bit Vimy - or a bigger female that didn't want to mate.

PA

Fischer added that the bite could help with research into where sharks are mating in the North Atlantic, he explained: "We found three males in that same spot and the two others had viable sperm samples.

"Maybe Vimy was just the small guy on the block. We do know that shark mating is very violent. Sharks biting each other in the head is not a new thing. This is an every day part of their life."

OCEARCH did manage to put everyone's minds at ease when they tweeted to explain that fortunately - for Vimy - white sharks have the ability to heal 'rapidly'. Phew.

One person wrote: "I too am wondering if it was another GWS [great white shark] or an Orca. That's a nasty looking wound and scar as well. Survival of the fittest".

Another commented: "Poor thing that sure is a nasty wound I hope it gets better he sure is a beautiful great white".

A third said: "I hope Vimy is ok.... whatever bit him was probably just tasting and did not intend harm.... Sharks keep the world going round.... as dangerous as they can be, people need to know why they are there".

Get well soon, Vimy LAD.

Topics: News, US News, Animals

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

@RJShepherd94