Australian scientists shocked by shark vomiting

Nicolas Lubitz, a marine biologist from James Cook University, was astonished by a rare incident involving a tiger shark. He stated that in his experience, such an event is extremely uncommon, estimating it to occur only about once in a million instances. When handling these sharks, they may become stressed, leading to regurgitation of food that doesn’t settle well. This may have been the case with the echidna that was found in the shark’s stomach. Dr. Lubitz explained to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that echidnas are often mistaken as land animals, but they are actually capable swimmers, using their nose as a snorkel.

Tiger sharks are known for their varied diet, which includes turtles, birds, sea snakes, stingrays, and even other sharks. They have been known to attack surfers and swimmers, showing their lack of selectivity in prey. In addition to living animals, tiger sharks have been found to ingest non-edible items such as discarded license plates, tin cans, bones, car tires, and even a small television. This highlights the indiscriminate feeding habits of these powerful predators, making them a formidable force in their marine environment.