Orcas hunt great white sharks more and more often with a specific purpose - research

Orcas hunt great white sharks using elaborate tactics, targeting their livers, which are particularly rich in energy.

UNN reports this with reference to Frontiers.

Details

While orcas were previously observed hunting adult great white sharks only in South Africa, new research data indicates that the hunting grounds of the largest and most powerful predators in the ocean are concentrated off the coast of Mexico. A team of marine biologists from the Latin American country documented several instances of sharks becoming part of the orcas' diet. This occurred in the summer of 2020 and the summer of 2022.

In both cases, animals from a pod in the Gulf of Mexico deliberately attacked young white sharks.

It turns out that the main target for orcas in this pursuit is the sharks' liver, which is "particularly rich in energy."

The research team also recorded a group of orcas in the Gulf of California using a specialized hunting method for young great white sharks. They would flip them over, paralyze them, and extract the liver to share it among group members.

According to research published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, these orcas, dubbed the "Montezuma pod," may be taking advantage of the local availability of a breeding ground for young sharks. There, it is easier to catch those who are young and less experienced.

"I think orcas that feed on elasmobranchs — sharks and rays — could hunt great white sharks anywhere if they wanted to," explained marine biologist Eric Higuera Rivas, co-author of the study.

"Such behavior reflects the developed intelligence of orcas, their strategic thinking, and their ability for social learning, as these techniques are passed down from generation to generation," he added.

Recall

About 1000 great white sharks disappeared from a bay near Gansbaai, South Africa, due to orca attacks. Researchers found that after orca attacks in 2017 and 2021, the sharks massively abandoned their traditional habitats.

Ukrainian scientists discovered the early return of humpback whales to the Antarctic Peninsula region, in the area where the Akademik Vernadsky polar station is located.