A 9-foot great white shark washed up on a California beach Sunday, and experts are uncertain what killed the creature.
The carcass was found lying in front of the Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos and gashes on its face as well as scratches and puncture marks suggest the creature battled a sea lion before its death.
"The shark had numerous fresh puncture wounds and scars from feeding on sea lions, and even had sea lion fur in its jaws," said Giancarlo Thomae, a local marine biologist, according to BNQT.
However, it is unlikely that this is what led to the shark's death, and experts are baffled at what did.
Thomae suspects that bacteria affecting brain function may have something to do with it but only once a necropsy is performed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, will experts know for certain what killed the shark.
What they do know is that the great white measured 8 feet, 9 inches, and weighed 500 pounds, making it a juvenile.
Experts also know that there have been several other juvenile sharks spotted in the Aptos area, preying on rays and other fish in shallow water.
Last month KTVU reported that 15 mid-sized great white sharks had been sighted off the shore at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos.
Photos captured by a pilot with Specialized Helicopters, Inc. showed the group of sharks swimming around the cement ship Monday.
Populations of the great white shark have been hurt in previous years, with numbers on the decline since the 1970s in certain areas.
Scientists speculated this was caused by a growing commercial shark fishing industry, which harvested their fins and jaws for use in food and folk medicine.
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