The first footage of its kind.
On May 16, a team of biologists succeeded in capturing, for the first time ever, the moment a pod of orcas attacked and preyed on great white sharks—some of the largest predatory fish in the world, often called “the white death.”
Aerial Footage of the Predation Process
Although the team only succeeded in capturing the event once on camera, aerial observations confirmed that the orca pod preyed on three great white sharks over a span of 71 minutes. This occurred in Mossel Bay, South Africa—an area where previous evidence suggested that great whites were being eaten by orcas, based on the condition of the shark carcasses. Two orcas, known as “Port” and “Starboard,” had previously been identified in the area. One of the five orcas captured in this video has been confirmed to be Starboard.
The roughly 30-minute video captures a full sequence of behavior, as the orcas identify, attack, and consume the sharks. The footage and findings were published in the journal Ecology.
“This kind of behavior has never been observed in such detail before. Aerial footage like this is a world first,” said shark researcher Alison Towner from Marine Dynamics Academy, who also co-authored the study, in a statement through the academic community.
Brilliant Teamwork
The great white shark reigns as the top predatory fish in the ocean, growing up to 6 meters in length and weighing as much as 2.3 tons. It’s also known for its hundreds of powerful, razor-sharp teeth that can easily tear through prey. And yet, these apex predators were being eaten by orcas.
Since 2017, eight great white shark carcasses have washed ashore on the South African coast, suspected to be killed by orcas. Seven of the eight were missing their livers, and several had their heads removed. Towner explained that orcas likely target sharks because their organs, particularly the liver, make up nearly a third of their body and are highly nutritious. As of now, no shark carcasses from this specific event have washed up.
Orcas are well known for their intelligence and strong social behavior, and as seen in the video, they work in teams when attacking sharks. Two orcas circle and herd the shark, while a third dives underneath and pushes it toward the surface. Then one orca bites down—blood is seen in the water.
Later in the footage, a shark liver can be seen floating on the surface, just before being gulped down by Starboard. The liver is nearly the size of Starboard’s head. It appears that the orcas have developed a technique to precisely and efficiently extract the liver as a team.
Given orcas’ social nature, the research team believes that this coordinated behavior may also be a form of teaching—Starboard may be instructing the others on how to take down one of the ocean’s most powerful predators. While it had long been suspected that orcas were responsible for killing great whites, this clear video evidence will likely lead to even more in-depth research in the future.
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