Orcas, more commonly known as “killer whales,” bear that fearsome nickname for compelling evolutionary and behavioral reasons. Standing at the very apex of the oceanic food chain, these intelligent and formidable predators exhibit extraordinary skill in cooperative, highly coordinated group hunting. Their pack behavior is not random but rather the product of intricate communication, social learning, and strategic planning—traits that illustrate the remarkable cognitive sophistication of these marine mammals. Recent scientific developments have offered a rare and mesmerizing glimpse into this lethal mastery of the sea. Using state-of-the-art drone technology, researchers captured phenomenal aerial footage over the Gulf of California, revealing a pod of orcas hunting and killing juvenile great white sharks. In an astonishing display of predatory precision, the orcas flipped the young sharks upside down to render them immobile before extracting and consuming their highly nutritious livers. This unprecedented observation, meticulously analyzed, was detailed in a study published in the respected journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
The footage was the result of several years of dedication by Erick Higuera, a marine biologist and underwater wildlife cinematographer who, along with collaborator Marco Villegas, brought this extraordinary behavior to light. Higuera, who has devoted more than ten years to studying and documenting orca populations, described how this remarkable behavior first came to his attention in August 2020. As he reviewed the drone recordings, he initially could not determine what species of shark the orcas were attacking. Only after careful analysis did he realize that the predators were targeting none other than great white sharks—an unexpected and exceptional finding. As Higuera recalled in an interview with Gizmodo, at first he speculated that the victims could be sand tiger sharks, given their similar body shapes and coloration, never imagining that they were, in fact, one of the ocean’s most formidable predators.
Encounters between orcas and great whites are exceedingly rare, making these observations all the more intriguing. Yet, such clashes between two apex hunters are not without precedent. Previous records document similar events in regions such as South Africa, Australia, and parts of the California coastline. According to Higuera, the motivation behind these attacks is the sharks’ liver—a colossal organ rich in fats and nutrients, weighing up to approximately 1,300 pounds, or about a quarter of the animal’s total mass. This organ offers an energy-dense reward that seems to justify the risk and effort required for the kill.
The orcas’ hunting method, involving flipping their prey over, taps into a fascinating physiological vulnerability known as tonic immobility. When inverted, a shark enters a temporary state of paralysis, unable to move or defend itself effectively. This brief incapacitation not only neutralizes the shark’s defensive potential but also affords the orca easy access to the liver through precise and targeted bites. Such behavior underscores the orcas’ problem-solving intelligence and their capacity to refine and pass along specialized hunting techniques within their pods.
What distinguishes the particular pod seen in the Gulf of California is their focus on juvenile rather than adult great white sharks. Marine ecologist and California State University Monterey Bay professor Salvador Jorgensen, one of the study’s co-authors, emphasized that this selectivity represents a fascinating deviation from the norm. Typically, killer whales pursue adult great whites because their organs are proportionally larger and therefore represent a higher caloric payoff. However, in this case, the orcas demonstrated a preference for younger, smaller individuals—likely no more than a year or two old. Understanding why this behavioral shift has occurred requires further scientific investigation, but the researchers have proposed several potential explanations.
From a purely practical standpoint, younger great whites may simply present an easier target. Their smaller size makes the act of overturning them far less physically demanding, reducing both the effort and risk involved for the orcas. Additionally, juvenile sharks are less experienced and possibly more naive than their mature counterparts. Adult great whites, having survived multiple oceanic hazards, seem capable of detecting even subtle cues indicating orca presence. According to Jorgensen, adult sharks will rapidly vacate an area at the first hint—whether the sound, scent, or sight—of orcas approaching. If this evasive instinct is indeed a learned response, it would logically follow that juvenile great whites, lacking that experience, fail to recognize danger in time. As Higuera further speculated, these immature sharks may not yet have developed an effective flight strategy, making them prime, vulnerable prey.
Environmental forces may also play a meaningful role in shaping this emergent behavior. The increasing prevalence of climatic disturbances such as El Niño events and prolonged marine heatwaves has begun to alter the distribution of marine species throughout the Pacific Ocean. This warming trend may have shifted great white shark nurseries farther northward, inadvertently expanding juvenile presence in the Gulf of California. Such environmental changes would, in effect, provide this particular orca pod with a seasonal supply of youthful, unsuspecting prey—a newly accessible resource shaped by climate fluctuations rather than behavioral innovation alone.
Whatever the underlying cause, the repeated documentation of orcas preying on young great white sharks for the first time in this region represents a groundbreaking discovery in marine ecology. It opens up a cascade of questions about predator-prey dynamics, learning behavior, and even potential cultural transmission among orca populations. As Jorgensen reflected, this finding reminds us that the ocean, vast and largely unexplored, still harbors countless secrets. In an age when humans possess unprecedented surveillance technologies—cameras, sensors, and scientific instruments scattered across the seas—it is nothing short of thrilling that nature continues to reveal entirely new phenomena, reminding us of the complexity and mystery that persist beneath the waves.
Sourse: https://gizmodo.com/jaw-dropping-video-shows-orcas-flipping-a-great-white-shark-to-feast-on-its-liver-2000680260
