WHALE vs. SHARK: Orca caught devouring great white

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

A killer whale has been caught on camera taking out a great white shark single-handed for the first time.

The orca might now have knocked the great white of the top of the list of apex predators in the ocean.

The "astonishing" footage, taken off Mossel Bay in South Africa, shows the orca - known as "Starboard" - consuming the 2.5-meter (8.2 feet) shark in just two minutes.

Stunned observers on board a boat recalled the "unforgettable" sight of Starboard carrying the shark’s liver in his mouth.

He had earlier been seen hunting with his orca pal, known as Port.

Experts say it shows that killer whales no longer need to hunt in packs to take down their great rivals for the title of the most feared ocean predator.

They also warned that it raises concerns about the entire marine ecosystem.

Killer whales target the great whites so they can eat their lipid-rich livers, say scientists.

Esther Jacobs, from the marine conservation initiative Keep Fin Alive, recounted her experience witnessing the dramatic attack.

She said: “Upon reaching Mossel Bay’s Seal Island, the scent of shark liver oil and a noticeable slick indicated a recent kill.

"Tracking Port and Starboard near the island, they remained separated.

“Witnessing a white shark's fin break the surface initially sparked excitement, but that turned to a somber realization as Starboard swiftly approached.

"The moment Starboard rapidly preyed on my favorite shark species was both devastating and intensely powerful.”

Dr. Primo Micarelli, from the Shark Studies Centre and Siena University in Italy, was on board the vessel White Shark Africa.

He said: “Over two decades of annual visits to South Africa, I've observed the profound impact these killer whales have on the local white shark population.

"Seeing Starboard carry a white shark's liver past our vessel is unforgettable.

“Despite my awe for these predators, I'm increasingly concerned about the coastal marine ecology balance."

Dr. Alison Towner, who led an international team researching the discovery, said: “The astonishing predation, off the coast of Mossel Bay, South Africa, represents unprecedented behavior underscoring the exceptional proficiency of the killer whale."

The team's findings were published in the African Journal of Marine Science.

The insight is the latest from Dr. Towner and her colleagues, who, in 2022 in the same journal, revealed that a pair of orca had been hunting and killing great white sharks off the coast of South Africa since 2017, driving large numbers of the sharks from their natural aggregation sites.

She explained that orcas are generally known to work together to catch large prey such as sea lions, seals, and even other whales – and sharks too.

By hunting together, they can surround their prey and use their combined intelligence and strength to attack.

They can hunt large animals individually, but this is the first such occurrence on what is one of the world's largest predators – the great white.

Dr. Towner, of Rhodes University in South Africa, has studied great white sharks for the last 17 years, learning about their movement patterns through tagging data.

She said: “Again, as previously in South Africa, the orcas are exhibiting a strong preference for extracting and consuming the lipid-rich livers of white sharks – a specialized feeding behavior.

“But what we witnessed was an orca, nicknamed Starboard – due to his collapsed dorsal fin – performing alone to incapacitate and consume a white shark within an astounding two-minute timeframe.

“Starboard was observed preying on a 2.5-meter juvenile white shark, later carrying the shark’s liver in its mouth past a boat.

"This sighting revealed evidence of solitary hunting by at least one killer whale, challenging conventional cooperative hunting behaviors known in the region.

“These are ground-breaking insights into the predatory behavior of this species, and our findings significantly contribute to the global understanding of Killer Whale predation dynamics, enhancing knowledge of marine ecosystems and predator-prey relationships”.

She said that during the observed interactions, at least two white sharks were killed, as evidenced by the discovery of a second carcass measuring 3.55 meters, 11.6 feet nearby.

Dr. Towner said: “The study raises critical questions about the impact of killer whale predation on shark populations in South Africa.

“The displacement of various shark species due to killer whale presence may have implications for mesopredator release and potential trophic changes in the marine ecosystem.”

She said understanding the ecological dynamics of killer whale predation is "paramount" for marine conservation efforts.

Dr Towner says the killing of the shark “underscores the urgent need for adaptable conservation strategies and vigilant ecological monitoring amidst changing environmental conditions”.

Dr. Simon Elwen, an expert in the ecology, behavior, and conservation status of whales, said: “The observations reported here add more layers to the fascinating story of these two killer whales and their capabilities."

Dr. Elwen, of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, added: "As smart, top predators, killer whales can rapidly learn new hunting techniques on their own or from others, so monitoring and understanding the behaviors used here and by other killer whales in South Africa is an important part of helping us understand more about these animals.”

Dr. Towner added: “The presence of these shark-hunting killer whales possibly ties into broader ecosystem dynamics.

"Rapid developments in this phenomenon, make it challenging for science to keep pace, prompting us to publish these timely short communications."