Unique images shows orcas hunting, killing 18-meter-long giant whale shark using vicious technique

On May 26, shark ecologist Kathryn Ayres witnessed a remarkable display of predation while guiding tourists on an ocean safari near La Paz, Mexico. A pod of orcas was observed attacking a juvenile whale shark in a completely coordinated manner. "You could hear the crunch of the final blow," Ayres recalled, as reported by National Geographic.

This event is part of a series of documented encounters between orcas and whale sharks in the southern Gulf of California. Between 2018 and recent years, researchers have recorded four separate incidents where orcas have demonstrated collaborative hunting techniques to target whale sharks. Marine biologists have detailed these hunting strategies in a study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Led by marine biologist Erick Higuera Rivas, the research team described how orcas employ specific methods to incapacitate and kill whale sharks. "It is quite impressive that killer whales work together to access a very specific area of their prey. This shows how perfect predators they are," said Higuera Rivas.

The orcas' hunting tactic involves ramming the whale shark with force to stun it and flipping it onto its back, inducing a state of tonic immobility that prevents the shark from escaping. Once immobilized, the orcas concentrate their attacks on the shark's pelvic area, which is less protected and provides easier access to vital organs. "By keeping it under control, the orcas have greater ease and speed to approach the pelvic area of the shark and can extract organs of nutritional importance to them," Rivas explained. 

An orca named Moctezuma, after the famous Aztec emperor, played a central role in three of the four documented attacks. Researchers suggest that Moctezuma may have been teaching these tactics to other members of the pod. "During the fourth hunt, females that had been observed with Moctezuma reproduced the same method, suggesting possible cultural transmission," the study notes. The observed females employed the same precise hunting techniques, indicating that the behavior may be learned within the pod.

The orcas' focus on whale sharks may indicate a specialized hunting strategy unique to this group in the Gulf of California. "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," Volker Deecke, a marine biology professor at the University of Cumbria, said, as reported by Live Science.

Whale sharks, the largest fish in the world, can grow up to 60 feet long. Despite their size, they are slow-moving and relatively defenseless against apex predators like orcas. Younger and smaller whale sharks, measuring between 3 and 7 meters, are often found off the coast of Mexico and are more vulnerable to predation. The orcas' tactic of targeting the whale shark's undercarriage exposes the prey's most vulnerable area, allowing them to access vital organs more easily. This strategy is similar to how orcas in other regions have been documented preying on different shark species.

The researchers noted that other killer whales may have learned similar hunting strategies in different regions, but evidence is limited. Understanding these behaviors enhances knowledge of marine ecosystem dynamics and contributes to conservation efforts.

"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," Deecke remarked. 

National Geographic, The Sun, The Washington Post, and Newsweek reported on the finding, among other outlets. 

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq