Dwarf Sperm Whale Flails in Shallow Water After Suspected Shark Attack
A rare dwarf sperm whale was spotted struggling for its life at a beach in Chappaquiddick, Massachusetts, on July 2.
Footage captured by a family during a fishing trip to Chappaquiddick’s East Beach shows the whale struggling close to shore, before it propels itself back into deeper water.
Speaking with the MV Times, Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries said the dwarf sperm whale was probably attacked by a great white shark.
A second video from the same beach again shows what Skomal said was the distressed whale.
The MV Times said that by isolating frames from the additional video, Skomal’s team was able to locate a crescent-shaped bite wound “indicative of really sharp cutting teeth”, consistent with a great white attack.
The footage here was shared with the MV Times by Ronan Robinson, a teenager who runs fishing-focused Instagram and YouTube accounts under the name Beantown Angler. The footage was shot by members of the Robinson family. Credit: William Robinson via Storyful
