Cookie-cutter shark bites on four species of large whale

This dataset contains information on cookie-cutter shark bitemarks on four large whale species: sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), offshore Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera brydeii sp) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). These data were collected from whales harvested at Donkergat whaling station, South Africa, during 1963. The data were personally collected by Peter Barrington Best, who was a research officer with the Fisheries Development Corporation of South Africa at that time. Hence, no permits were required for the collection of data. Permission to examine carcasses, while they were on the platform prior to flensing, was granted by the commercial use company (Saldanha Whaling Co. Ltd).