(NewsNation) — Orcas in the Gulf of California were spotted attacking great white sharks using a unique hunting strategy: A body slam and liver eating.
Researchers caught the interactions on camera in 2020 but released their findings this month, finding orcas, also known as killer whales, are the only known natural predators of great white sharks.
The killer whale and shark showdown involved the orca flipping over the great white shark, thus paralyzing it, then eating its nutrient-rich liver.
“This behavior is a testament to orcas’ advanced intelligence, strategic thinking, and sophisticated social learning, as the hunting techniques are passed down through generations within their pods,” said marine biologist Erick Higuera Rivas, lead author of the research in the science journal Frontiers in Marine Science, in a statement.