Unprecedented Orca Attack on Great White Shark Filmed off South African Coast

TLDRWatch the astonishing footage of an orca hunting down and attacking a great white shark, a rare and unprecedented event. This is part of a larger trend where orcas have been targeting sharks and specifically going for their livers. The attack was carried out by a solitary orca named Starboard, showing highly skilled hunting techniques. The incident has raised concerns about the impact of orcas on shark populations along the South African coast.

Key insights

🐋Orcas have been targeting great white sharks and going for their livers, which are nutrient-dense and make up a significant portion of the shark's body weight.

🦈The attack was carried out by a solitary orca named Starboard, showing highly skilled hunting techniques.

🔍This incident is part of a larger trend where orcas have been hunting sharks along the South African coast, causing concerns about the impact on shark populations.

🎥The footage of the attack provides rare and valuable insights into the behavior of orcas and their interactions with other apex predators.

⚖️The phenomenon of orcas targeting great white sharks and going for their livers has been observed for about eight years, coinciding with the disappearance of white sharks from certain areas.

Q&A

Why are orcas attacking great white sharks?

Orcas target great white sharks and specifically go for their livers because they are nutrient-dense and make up a significant portion of the shark's body weight.

How long has this phenomenon been observed?

The phenomenon of orcas targeting great white sharks and going for their livers has been observed for about eight years. This coincides with the disappearance of white sharks from certain areas along the South African coast.

Is this behavior normal for orcas?

While orcas are known to be highly skilled hunters and typically hunt in packs, the targeting of great white sharks and specifically going for their livers is a unique behavior that has been observed in recent years.

What is the impact of orcas on shark populations?

The consistent hunting of great white sharks by orcas raises concerns about the impact on shark populations along the South African coast. The disappearance of white sharks from certain areas suggests a potential ecological imbalance.

Does this behavior pose any threat to humans?

There have been no reports of orcas targeting humans. While orcas are apex predators, they primarily target marine mammals and other marine species as part of their natural feeding behavior.

Timestamped Summary

00:00The incident involves an orca attacking a great white shark off the coast of South Africa.

01:32Orcas have been observed targeting great white sharks and specifically going for their livers, which are nutrient-dense.

02:49This behavior has been observed for about eight years and has coincided with the disappearance of white sharks from certain areas along the South African coast.

03:15The liver of a shark is a nutrient-rich part and is the specific target for orcas during these attacks.

03:37The attack was carried out by a solitary orca named Starboard, demonstrating highly skilled hunting techniques.