Killer whales are thought to be slaughtering great white sharks off the coast of South Africa by ripping out their livers.
Not a single great white shark has been seen off the beaches of False Bay in South Africa so far this year.
Some 50 sharks were spotted at the hotspot last year, with an average of 205 sightings between 2010 and 2016.
Some believe killer whales are responsible for the disappearance of the species, with reports of sharks washing up on the beach with their livers missing.
Experts claim the predator whales have acquired a taste for the sharks' livers, which are rich in oil and fats, providing a valuable source of energy for the huge marine mammals, the Daily Star reports.
Tourists flock to False Bay every year to watch the sharks launching themselves out of the water around the nearby Seal Island.
Marian Nieuwoudt, a Cape Town environment official, said: "To our knowledge the absence of great white sharks from False Bay has not been recorded or reported before.
"Great white sharks are top apex predators and we do not know how their absence from False Bay would impact the ecosystem. Neither do we know the causes for their disappearance.
"We remain hopeful that the great whites will return to False Bay and will announce our first sighting when this happens."
However, marine biologist Dr Sara Andre has rubbished claims that killer whales are behind the drop in shark numbers.
According to Cape Talk , she said: "I cannot believe that two orcas would make an entire white shark population disappear from the most important site around the coastline."
