In a groundbreaking observation, scientists found indications that a 7-foot pregnant porbeagle shark was potentially preyed upon by an even larger shark. This remarkable incident, believed to be the first recorded evidence of a porbeagle shark being hunted, occurred after researchers captured the shark off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in late October 2020. They attached two types of tracking devices to the shark—one for location and the other to monitor its depth and temperature.

Typically designed to remain attached for about a year, the pop-off satellite archival tag (PSAT) unexpectedly detached near Bermuda after just five months. Brooke Anderson, a researcher involved in the study, remarked that the data revealed unusual patterns of diving behavior and temperature increases, indicating something had gone awry with the shark before the tag's detachment.

Further analysis showed the PSAT spent several days inside the stomach of another animal, leading researchers to rule out warmer-blooded mammals like orcas, focusing instead on larger, endothermic sharks. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, states this represents the first documented case of predation on a porbeagle shark, shedding light on predator interactions within this vulnerable species.

Researchers speculated that larger sharks such as the great white or the shortfin mako could be responsible for this predatory event. James Sulikowski, from Oregon State University, emphasized the importance of the study, highlighting the ocean's mysteries still awaiting exploration and prompting further questions about the hierarchy among shark species.