A great white shark was found dead on the sand of Coronation Beach in Australia.
Two days prior to this discovery, what is believed to be the same shark was caught on tape desperately thrashing in shallow waters. Upon his first, distant glance at the 13-foot animal, Brad Tapper, the man behind the camera, recalled having “thought it was a diver.”
“It was kind of surreal, you’re watching it and you don’t realize how rare it is at the time until you get home and have a look at the footage,” Tapper told The West Australian.
Dr. Rory McAuley, a lead researcher in the investigation, reported that the shark had no apparent injuries or illnesses when it was found on land—that is, other than the giant Australian sea lion lodged in its throat.
McAuley cites the sea lion as a likely explanation of the shark’s “unusual behavior,” according to the Western Australia Department of Fisheries. “It is possible that the shark was trying to dislodge the blockage,” he said.