A chunk of shark-gnawed whale carcass drifted onto a North Shore beach yesterday between ‘Anini and Kalihiwai, requiring heavy equipment to remove it.

“The lifeguards confirmed there was a whale being chewed,” said Mark Schofield, marine mammal response coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about the Monday evening spotting. “The predation was pretty advanced.”

The remains finally washed ashore yesterday at ‘Anini near the surf spot known as “Wires.”

Schofield said there was only a 5- or 6-foot diameter chunk left, indicating the carcass had been adrift for awhile, being actively eaten.

“Normally, if it was a fresher animal or a more recent kill, we would do a biological investigation to seek answers to ocean and animal health questions that help with the management need,” Schofield said. “In this instance it was determined there was too much predation to do that.”

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(Source: Adam Harju, Kauai Garden Island News)