BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. — A large great white shark was recently spotted feeding on a dead whale off the coast of New England, providing a rare look at one of the ocean’s top predators in action.
The sighting occurred last week near Rhode Island’s Block Island and was documented by researchers from the Atlantic Shark Institute. During the encounter, the shark was observed feeding on the whale carcass before swimming toward a nearby boat.
According to the Atlantic Shark Institute, dead whales often attract great white sharks from miles away.
White shark sightings are few and far between until a whale dies, and then they seem to appear out of nowhere, as this one did," researchers wrote in a social media post.
After learning of the whale carcass, the institute launched a search effort to locate it. Researchers spent hours scanning approximately 50 square miles of ocean before finding the whale.
Once they located the carcass, they discovered it wasn’t attracting just one predator. A second great white shark was also circling the whale and feeding on the remains.
Researchers say whale carcasses can provide a valuable food source for great white sharks and other marine life, creating a feeding hotspot in the open ocean.
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