Answer:
Sharks swallowed and ate the bodies of African slaves that were thrown into the sea.
Step-by-step explanation:
The middle passage is a stage in the triangular trade where Slaves from the African coasts were carried across the Atlantic ocean to South and North America. In the course of crossing this ocean, some slaves became so weak that they could no longer continue the journey. Some others died from the stress and starvation they experienced in the course of the journey. This set of people were usually thrown into the ocean by their captors and their bodies were readily swallowed by the sharks.
It is believed that some of these sharks followed the ships closely so as to readily grab the opportunity of swallowing the slaves when they were thrown aboard.