Orcas Targeting Large Shark Species on the Rise Across Gulf of California, Causing Potential Impact on Ecosystem [Study]

Orcas or killer whales have been considered as top ocean predators in recent years after some members of their species Orcinus orca have been spotted killing great white sharks.

The latter has been deemed as the apex predator of Earth's waters for a long time, even appearing as antagonists in the "Jaws" franchise. However, emerging evidence suggests that the intelligence and social traits of orcas can dominate even several shark species.

As of June 2024, scientists revealed in a new study that orcas targeting large shark species in the waters across the Gulf of California, Mexico, are on the rise.

The findings of the new research paper led by academicians in the United States indicate these orca and shark predator-prey interactions are greater than previously thought. Over the past decade, related cases have been reported worldwide.

Do Orcas Hunt Sharks?

There is a raging debate about predator-prey interactions between orcas and sharks, particularly which of the two are the hunter or the hunted. While the topic has been a fascination for marine scientists and even wildlife enthusiasts, previous anecdotal evidence and scientific research have confirmed that orcas hunt sharks.

According to the United Kingdom's Natural History Museum (NHM), killer whales have learned to hunt and eat young great white sharks in less than 2 minutes. This phenomenon has been observed along the South African coast, as mentioned earlier. In a press release in March 2024, the NHM confirmed that shark-eating orcas have established and strengthened their control across South African waters.

One of the most significant pieces of evidence of these predator-prey interactions between killer whales and sharks has been confirmed in the waters off the coast of South Africa. The case involved a duo killer whales, named "Port" and "Starboard." The pair became famous in 2017 when they killed at least eight great white sharks. The feeding frenzy continued in the succeeding years, scaring away shark predators.

Port and Starboard are known for targeting the sharks' livers due to their stored nutrients. In February 2023, the duo orca killed and ate the livers of 19 broadnose sevengill sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus). This comes after the sharks' carcasses washed ashore along the coast of Pearly Beach, a far southern village in South Africa.

Gulf of California Orcas

As the years went by, evidence of the orca shark hunt phenomenon has been confirmed even outside South African waters. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science on June 4, researchers found predatory behavior of killer whales towards sharks within Cabo Pulmo National Park across the Gulf of California.

The research team identified three instances of predator-prey interactions between orcas and sharks from 2022 and 2023 in the said national park, a marine-protected area in the region, along the coast of western Mexico.