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Great White Shark Spotted With Huge Bite Mark On Its Side

Great White Shark Spotted With Huge Bite Mark On Its Side

The photo has sparked debate about what could have caused the bite

A diver managed to photograph a huge bite on the side of a great white shark.

Jalil Najafov, 40, was diving in Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, when he spotted the 4.5 metre shark, with a perfect bite mark on its side. 

Caters

Jalil has since uploaded the photo to his Instagram account, where it’s sparked debate over what could have caused the super-sized bite. 

Jalil, a shark conservationist and filmmaker, even reached out to shark experts to get to the bottom of what could have caused the injury. 

Jalil, who is originally from Azerbaijan, said: “I was really surprised as I have never seen anything like this in my life.

“This bite mark was so huge on a big shark, and I was like, is that real?

“I have worked with sharks for many years and have never seen such a big scar before!

“What caused the bite mark was a big discussion on social media with many commenters fighting between two opinions, mating scar or act of aggression.

Caters

“After I sent this image to Dr Tristan Guttridge, he ruled out mating.

“I also sent it to Michael Domeier who also felt it was an attack from another shark

“That’s why this photo went very viral!”

Great white sharks are known for scrapping with one another and will even eat each other.

Professor Mark Meekan, from the Australian Institute for Marine Science, revealed in 2019 National Geographic documentary Cannibal Sharks that all sharks are cannibals - even fearsome great whites.

He said: "It's not just one rogue shark attacking other sharks or even one species of shark attacking other sharks, it's lots of different sharks turning on each other."

National Geographic

A gruesome photograph shared in the documentary showed a 12-foot long great white shark corpse, almost sliced in half by two major bites, removing most of the middle of the shark's body.

Examining a photograph of a shark with two huge bites taken out of its centre, Professor Meekan said: "This is an enormous shark. It's 12-feet long but look at the size of that bite, it's absolutely massive."

 

Featured Image Credit: Caters

Topics: Animals