Orcas attack the pelvic region of whale sharks, which causes them to bleed and gives the orcas the opportunity to feed on the livers that are rich in nutrients.
Image credit: Kelsey Williamson
Orcas have picked up the art of hunting whale sharks, the largest species of shark in the world. Their tactics are vicious.
Researchers say that a male was at most of the hunting events. This suggests he is driving the predatory behavior.
“The animals have shown us over and over again that they are extremely good at developing highly specialized strategies to target specific prey,” Volker Deecke Live Science received an email from a wildlife conservation professor at the University of Cumbria, U.K. “This is a fascinating behaviour.” Deecke is a marine mammal biologist, but was not part of the study.
Whale Sharks (Rhincodon (typus Rhincodon) According to the, the biggest fishes in the ocean can weigh up to 36 metric tons and grow up to 12 meters long. National Ocean Service . These ocean giants reach a length of Over 60 feet (18m) About the same length as a single bowling alley.
In comparison, orcas (Orcinus OrcaAlso known as killer whales, According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. Researchers have found that the predators of marine mammoths developed tactics to kill them. These findings were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry on Nov. 29, 2009. Frontiers in Marine Science .
Researchers analyzed photos and videos taken in the Gulf of California between 2018-2024 to characterize this new hunting behaviour. The researchers observed four hunting incidents in total.
Orca gangs turn whale sharks on their backs to make them immobile, allowing easier access to the livers and pelvic area. Kelsey Williamson is the image credit for this article.
Orcas began by striking the sharks with high speed to turn them over and stun them. The sharks could not move in this position or get deeper into the water. Jesus Erick Higuera Rivas A marine biologist with the non-profit organization Conexiones Terramar said that in an article. statement.
Orcas attacked the pelvic region of the sharks, which caused them to bleed and gave the orcas the opportunity to get to their livers.
Researchers didn’t see orcas eating the liver, but it is well known that the organ can be toxic. favorite delicacy among orca pods elsewhere.
Moctezuma, an adult male orca of large size was involved in three out of four events. In the fourth recorded event, females who had been previously spotted together with Moctezuma orchestrated it. This suggests that he was teaching this tactic to members of his pod. This theory is yet to be proven.
This behavior has also been occurring for many years, but it is unclear if this was a recent occurrence or whether the perpetrators have maintained their covert activities. “More likely the increase in human activity (and availability of affordable waterproof cameras) has meant that a rare behaviour that has been present for some time is more likely to be detected (and recorded),” Deecke stated.
“Studies across the globe have shown that individual killer whale groups and populations specialize on a few prey types that they hunt using very specialized hunting techniques. The fact the animals in the Gulf of California have evolved a strategy to attack and consume whale sharks is therefore not that surprising, but fascinating nonetheless.”
