A team of scientists has documented how a pod of orcas lives in the waters of the Gulf of California has devised collaborative techniques to hunt the largest fish in the ocean: the whale shark. The hunting method of this particular pod, according to experts, is similar to that of another unrelated group of orcas that chases and kills white sharks in South Africa to feed on their livers.
Marine biologist Erick Higuera Rivas points out that “what is surprising is seeing the interaction between two such charismatic species of the oceans and also how this specific pod knows how to adapt and has acquired different types of strategies to hunt different prey,” he says in statements to Science Alert.
In the case of whale shark hunting, this scientist describes that this pod “works as a team and uses specific hunting techniques to immobilize the sharks and extract the internal organs, specifically the liver“.
This team of marine biologists from the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine Sciences of Mexico has observed four hunts from orcas to whale sharks that occurred between 2018 and 2024 and has been able to document this strategy in action, which has been captured in an article published in the magazine Frontiers in Marine Science.
She was involved in three of these four hunts. a male orca they named Moctezumawhile other female orcas in their pod also repeated, suggesting they could be related or members of the same pod.
According to scientists, this attack by the orcas is highly coordinated. First, they forcefully attack the whale shark with their heads until they manage to stun and immobilize it. They then turn it over and begin to tear it apart with their teeth so that it bleeds out, concentrating their bites on the whale shark’s belly, near its liver.
“When hunting, all members of the pack They work together, beating the whale shark to turn it over. In that position, the sharks enter a state of immobility and can no longer move voluntarily or escape by going deeper,” explained Higuera Rivas.
“By keeping it under control, the orcas have greater ease and speed in approaching the shark’s pelvic area and can remove organs of nutritional importance for them.” Although whale shark livers are an important part of the orcas’ diet, experts have not been able to observe any of the orcas consuming this organ.
Hunting this way could mean that some orcas in the Gulf of California have acquired special abilities that help them hunt whale sharks. In other regions, orcas they may have learned to do the samebut the evidence is limited, the researchers have indicated.
Although it was not easy to collect the images and videos of the attacks of these orcas, the researchers maintain that their discovery could have several implications. The fact that there is a whale shark hunting pod in the Gulf of California increases the need to manage marine adventurers and tourists, experts have warned. “There must be a specific regulatory standard that guarantees that any type of non-extractive use activity is carried out in a respectful and sustainable manner,” said Higuera Rivas.
Ultimately, the new information related to these orcas helps researchers better understand their unique adaptations to your needs and geographic location. “It is very impressive how the orcas work together strategically and intelligently to access only a very specific area of the prey. This highlights what great predators they are,” concludes Higuera Rivas.
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