United States - November 29, 2024 A pod of killer whales in the Gulf of California may have acquired specialized hunting techniques to prey on whale sharks, the world’s largest fish. Researchers have documented four separate predation events from 2018 to 2024, with one male orca, Moctezuma, involved in three of the attacks. The orcas use a coordinated strategy that targets the whale sharks' pelvic area, causing them to bleed out and allowing the orcas access to the lipid-rich liver. Whale sharks, which can grow up to 18 meters long, are vulnerable during their younger, smaller life stages when they feed at aggregation sites in the Gulf. During this period, they are more susceptible to predation, and scientists have now confirmed the orcas’ ability to target them with impressive teamwork. “We show how orcas displayed a collaborative hunting technique on whale sharks, characterized by focusing on attacking the pelvic area,” said Erick Higuera Rivas, a marine biologist at Conexiones Terramar. “By keeping the shark under control, the orcas can access vital organs like the liver.” In these hunting events, the orcas are believed to flip the whale sharks upside down, inducing a state of tonic immobility where the shark can no longer move or escape. This gives the orcas an advantage in accessing the shark’s most vulnerable areas, which are less protected by muscle and cartilage. While the orcas’ consumption of the liver was not captured in photos, researchers believe this organ is a primary target. The hunting strategy may reflect a learned behavior specific to this pod in the Gulf of California, with potential implications for other orca populations that may not yet exhibit the same skill. The specialized knowledge could also make these orcas vulnerable if climate change impacts the availability of whale sharks in the region. Although documenting these attacks was challenging due to the unpredictable nature of the events and limited access to high-quality footage, the findings highlight the intelligence and adaptability of orcas. This discovery not only sheds light on the orcas' hunting strategies but also raises concerns about the sustainability of marine ecosystems. Researchers stress the need for regulations to ensure that human activity, particularly from marine tourists, is conducted in a sustainable manner that doesn’t disrupt these delicate environments. "The strategic way orcas work together to target specific areas of their prey demonstrates just how extraordinary these predators are," Higuera Rivas concluded.