Tiger sharks have been feasting on a humpback whale carcass beyond a popular Oahu beach and lifeguards have warned people to stay out of the water.
The carcass was discovered Tuesday about 300 yards from shore at Waimanalo Bay Beach Park. Honolulu Ocean Safety Division lifeguards counted at least three tiger sharks estimated to measure 12-13 feet.
The accompanying footage, captured by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and edited by Maui Now, shows the sharks circling and feeding on the carcass.
“Throughout the day the carcass seems to be drifting closer to the beach, at one point an estimated 100 to 150 yards from shore,” the DNLR stated in a news release issued late Tuesday. “In addition to warning signs lifeguards and officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) are stationed on the beach or patrolling it to ensure people do not enter the water.”
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The carcass is in decay and portions that washed up on the beach were scavenged by dogs, so lifeguards were cautioning people to keep their pets “on leashes and away from the material so they don’t get sick.”
Beachgoers also were asked not to collect whale flesh or any parts that might wash ashore.
As of late Tuesday, the DNLR had not determined whether to let the carcass wash ashore or tow it to sea. It was unclear when the shark warnings would be lifted.
Click here to watch the DNLR’s full-length video.
