July 14, 2021: A Hungry Wreckfish
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Windows to the Deep 2019. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).
Towards the end of a Windows to the Deep 2019 dive to search for (but not find) a potential shipwreck target approximately 80 miles off the coast of South Carolina, we encountered a group of sharks feasting on a dead swordfish, approximately 2.5 meters (8 feet) in length. As we watched the scene unfold, this wreckfish was observed capturing and swallowing one of the sharks — WHOLE!
Another reason to appreciate sharks on Shark Appreciation Day — they are important members of the ocean ecosystem, be it as the top predators...or as prey.
Learn more about this encounter (with video!).