Shark Bites Off More Than It Can Chew, Chokes On Sea Lion

Even a shark has to chew before it swallows.

In a peculiar event that is almost too odd to seem true, a 13-foot great white shark in Australia died after choking on a sea lion.

This video of a shark thrashing in shallow waters on Coronation Beach near Geraldton, Western Australia surfaced the day before the same shark washed ashore.

“This could explain why the shark was exhibiting such unusual behavior in shallow waters off Coronation Beach. It is possible that the shark was trying to dislodge the blockage,” Dr McAuley, the principal research scientist who investigated the case, said in a Department of Fisheries press release.

To make things even more interesting, this shark was also tagged in Southern Australia back in January, proving the incredibly mobile nature of the species. The Department of Fisheries in Western Australia concluded that the sea lion either damaged the shark's internal organs, or the shark simply became stranded while trying to "get rid of the obstruction."

Either way, this was an odd finish to a story that usually ends with a dead sea lion and a full-bellied shark.