Orcas tore out a great white shark's liver, stomach and testes with 'surgical precision'

Marine conservationists have made another gruesome discovery off the coast of South Africa - the carcass of a great white shark with several of its organs removed.

The shark was found without its liver, stomach and testes on the same stretch of coastline as three other deceased sharks, which also had their livers torn out.

And the culprit? Orcas.

The autopsy was led by biologist Alison Towner of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, who found the shark, measuring 13.5 feet long, bled out before dying.

The shark's organs were removed by the killer whales in the same way as the others - with "surgical precision".

Marine Dynamics, a shark cage diving company in Kleinbaai on South Africa's Western Cape, posted on Facebook that the orcas were seen swimming away from the scene.

"The pair of orcas believed to be responsible were sighted offshore of Danger Point then again in Franskraal today," the post reads.

"Marine Dynamics cage diving boat tracked the pair. Subsequently, all cage diving boats failed to see white sharks today and it is believed the sharks may have fled the area once again."

The bizarre great white shark deaths began in May, when three of the fish were discovered without their livers.

It is not unusual for orcas to hunt the ocean predators for their organs, but the behaviour is rare for the Western Cape region.

Sharks' livers are rich in squalene - an organic compound which synthesises cholesterol, steroid hormones and vitamin D.