A great white shark killed itself by choking on a sea lion

A great white shark washed up on a beach near the small, western Australian town of Geraldton on Monday. The 13-foot shark was found dead on Coronation Beach two days after it was filmed thrashing around in the shallows just a few feet from shore. The shark didn’t appear t have any injuries according to Department of Fisheries principal research scientist Dr. Rory McAuley. However, it was discovered upon further investigation that the shark had a large Australian sea lion stuck in its throat.

“This could explain why the shark was exhibiting such unusual behavior in shallow waters off Coronation Beach,” McAuley said. “It’s possible that the shark was trying to dislodge the blockage.” Beachgoers who saw the shark’s strange behavior on Saturday noted that it had been tagged, and speculated whether that could be the cause of its distress. After it beached itself, some onlookers attempted to drag the shark out to sea using a tow rope, but the animal returned to shore soon after. A video of the strange display, posted on Saturday, has already amassed more than 18,000 views.

McAuley said the shark had been tagged off the South Australian coast in January but that it most likely died because it bit off more than it could chew. “Such a large object may have damaged the shark’s internal organs or impeded water flow into his gills, contributing to his death,” McAuley said. “Alternatively, the shark may have accidentally become stranded in his attempts to get rid of the obstruction.” The department has downloaded the information from the shark’s tracking device and taken tissue and vertebrae samples for research purposes. Read more about the story here.