A lone killer whale has been caught killing a great white shark in an “unprecedented” attack.
The incident occurred off the coast of Mossel Bay in South Africa at around 3pm on 18 June 2023 and has now been documented in the African Journal of Marine Science.
Previous reported attacks have always involved between two and six whales, or killer whales, and these creatures lasted about two hours.
But on this occasion, it took just two minutes for the killer whale to kill the great white calf which is believed to have weighed around 100kg and was 2.5m long.
Dr Alison Towner, from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, described the incident as “unprecedented” and “astonishing”.
Writing in the journal, she describes a team that launched at around 2pm that day after sightings of two famous killer whales to starboard and port.
Scientists have been studying and filming the pair working together to hunt great white sharks since 2022.
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At 3.02pm, searchers on the boat saw the great white fish emerge from the water – and starboard immediately afterwards.
They described how the whale “grabbed the shark's left pectoral fin and lunged forward with the shark several times before finally eviscerating it.”
Shortly after, the orca reappeared with a “bloody, peach-colored piece of liver in its mouth.”
According to the researchers, it appears that Port and Starboard were often targeting shark livers, which are rich in energy and nutrients.
The pair work well together, their dorsal fins bending in opposite directions, encircling their prey so they are not attacked.
The June 18 incident not only reveals more about killer whales' hunting capabilities, but also suggests that great beluga whales may be at risk of being displaced from coastal sites.
