other locations along the California coast, was 

 not conducted. 



Results 



Table 1 summarizes data obtained from the 

 stomachs of seven great white sharks examined 

 shortly after they washed ashore dead or were 

 captured at sea. Four points are worth noting: 



1) Six stomachs contained seal remains, three of 



harbor seals and two of northern elephant 

 seals. 



2) Large prey was consumed. On the basis of 



tooth annuli and head and proboscis size, 

 we estimate that specimen no. 6 (Fig. 1) con- 

 tained the remains of a male elephant seal, 

 4 to 5 yr old. Intact, this seal would have 

 measured approximately 3 m in length and 

 weighed 450 to 680 kg. 



3) The dimensions of the barely digested mate- 



rial in four of the shark stomachs indicate 

 that the prey had been consumed in large 



4) 



pieces. For example, the stomach of one spe- 

 cimen contained the entire head, unmarred 

 and severed cleanly at the neck. Both hind- 

 flippers and the tail were covered with hair 

 and still attached to a segment of the sac- 

 rum. Also included were both foreflippers, 

 one attached to a large piece of flesh con- 

 taining the shoulder, a large portion of the 

 midsection including six vertebrae, and 

 several pieces of flesh and fur in various 

 stages of decomposition. The elephant seal 

 material weighed about 225 kg. 

 Six of the seven sharks were females. 



The majority of the shark-injured elephant 

 seals were observed during the winter breeding 

 season. Only two recently bitten animals were 

 observed on Ano Nuevo Island in spring, despite 

 the larger number of animals present at this 

 time compared with the breeding season (Le 

 Boeuf and Bonnell 1980). 



Fewer than three victims per breeding season 

 were observed from 1968 to 1976. From 1976 to 



Figure 1— A moribund great white shark (Specimen No. 6 in Table 1) that washed ashore near Ano Nuevo Point shortly after 

 having consumed approximately one-third of a young male northern elephant seal. 



892 



