Orcas Exhibit Unique Hunting Technique on Great White Sharks

A pod of orcas has been observed hunting and consuming young great white sharks in the Gulf of California, off the coast of Mexico. New research has revealed that these orcas employ a unique technique, flipping the sharks to incapacitate them before consuming their nutrient-rich livers. This behavior highlights the sophisticated hunting skills of orcas in this region.

The research was made public on October 1, 2023, and it suggests that this specific pod specializes in targeting sharks. Until now, only a single documented instance of orcas preying on juvenile great white sharks was recorded in South Africa in 2022. The footage captured by independent marine biologist Erick Higuera shows a coordinated effort among five orcas during their hunts.

In the first documented event, which occurred in August 2020, the orcas worked together to push a young great white shark to the surface and flipped it onto its back. This maneuver induces a state known as tonic immobility, effectively paralyzing the shark. “This temporary state renders the shark defenseless, allowing the orcas to extract its nutrient-rich liver and likely consume other organs as well,” Higuera stated in a press release.

After incapacitating the shark, the orcas were observed resurfacing with the liver in their mouths. A similar hunting pattern was recorded in August 2022, reinforcing the notion that this pod has developed a specialized strategy for hunting juvenile sharks.

Advanced Intelligence in Orca Hunting Techniques

The study also underscores the remarkable intelligence and social learning capabilities of orcas. “This behavior is a testament to orcas’ advanced intelligence, strategic thinking, and sophisticated social learning, as the hunting techniques are passed down through generations within their pods,” Higuera emphasized.

Researchers identified some of the orcas involved in the first hunt as previously documented hunters of other species, such as whale sharks and bull sharks. However, the footage from the second incident was not clear enough to confirm if the same orcas participated.

According to Dr. Salvador Jorgensen from California State University, this is the first instance where researchers have observed orcas repeatedly targeting juvenile great white sharks. “Adult white sharks react quickly to hunting orcas, completely evacuating their seasonal gathering areas and not returning for months,” he noted. “But these juvenile white sharks may be naive to orcas. We just don’t know yet whether white shark anti-predator flight responses are instinctual or need to be learned.”

Implications for Conservation Efforts

This research not only provides insights into orca behavior but also raises important questions about the dynamics of predator-prey relationships in marine ecosystems. Researchers suggest that while this pod is the only one observed hunting elasmobranchs, there may be more pods exhibiting similar hunting strategies.

Dr. Francesca Pancaldi of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas highlighted the importance of understanding these behaviors. “Generating information about the extraordinary feeding behavior of killer whales in this region will lead us to understand where their main critical habitats are, so we can create protected areas and apply management plans to mitigate human impact,” she explained.

The previous instance in South Africa involved a pod of orcas chasing sharks during an hour-long pursuit near Mossel Bay, further indicating the potential for complex hunting behaviors among these intelligent marine mammals. As researchers continue to study orca interactions with their environment, the findings could have lasting implications for marine conservation and management strategies.