Dramatic footage shows a great white shark choking to death on a sea lion

Beachgoers in west Australia caught a fearsome spectacle recently when they saw a great white shark thrashing about in the water nearby.

Ms Tash Tapper, who filmed the drama, described it as "surreal" as the creature swam in close to the shore and then out again repeatedly for almost two hours.

She said: "To me, it seemed it was coming in to die."

And she may have been right, because local Fisheries Department inspectors recovered the animal’s corpse shortly afterwards, only to find a sea lion stuck in its throat.

Research scientist, Dr Rory McAuley, told WAToday that the shark had no visible signs of injury or disease, but explained that the large sea lion found stuck inside its throat "could explain why the shark was exhibiting such unusual behaviour in shallow waters off Coronation Beach".

Dr McAuley said: "It is possible that the shark was trying to dislodge the blockage.

"Such a large object may have damaged the shark’s internal organs or impeded water flow into his gills, contributing to his death."

He said it was also possible that the shark might have become stranded in its attempts to rid itself of the obstruction.

H/T: BreakingNews.ie