In a first, detailed video captures orcas hunting great white sharks in South Africa
- Scientists have published new findings confirming that orcas hunt great white sharks
- Pod of orcas captured on camera killing one of the world’s largest sea predators
Great white sharks have been mysteriously disappearing from the coast of South Africa, and scientists may now know why.
A new paper published this week in The Ecological Society of America’s journal Ecology shows the first confirmed observation of a group of orcas, also known as killer whales, hunting a great white shark.
The killing was captured on video in May at Hartenbos Beach, South Africa, a statement from the Ecological Society of America said.
“This behaviour has never been witnessed in detail before, and certainly never from the air,” said lead author Alison Towner, a senior shark scientist at Marine Dynamics Academy in Gansbaai, South Africa.
This newly observed behaviour could significantly impact the ecosystem and local tourism.
Authors of the paper believe the footage suggests this behaviour of killing great white sharks is spreading among orcas, highly intelligent and social marine mammals that hunt in groups.
Previous studies found orcas spread new behaviours over time through cultural transmission.
Only two killer whales have been previously linked to hunting great white sharks in South Africa, but attacks have never been seen in action.
In the video, five whales circle the shark and eat it. Researchers assume the same group was witnessed by another pilot just prior to the event attacking two sharks in the same area.
A well-known orca called Starboard, who can be seen eating the shark’s liver in the video, has previously been linked to a series of washed-up shark carcasses on South Africa’s beach.
The study provides new insights into how sharks are defending themselves to evade capture by orcas.
The attack caused all but one great white shark in the area to flee for a period of time, according to survey data before after the predation event. Researchers first observed this flight response to killer whales in 2015 and 2017 in False Bay, South Africa.
“The sharks ultimately abandoned former key habitats, which has had significant knock-on effects for both the ecosystem and shark-related tourism,” said South African National Parks’ shark expert and marine biologist, Dr Alison Kock.
The presence of killer whales caused sharks to use evasion strategies that are commonly seen in seals and turtles.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
