- Orcas in the Gulf of California have been observed using a novel strategy of ramming into sunfish, causing the large fish to explode into pieces.
- Researchers documented two separate events, one being an orca holding a sunfish while another torpedoed into it.
- Kathryn Ayres, an author of a new study documenting these observations, published in the journal Frontiers in Ethology, said: “Orcas often tear apart prey and share it with other members of the group, including calves and juveniles.”
- However, scientists also suggest the ramming could be for social purposes, serving as a game or form of entertainment for the killer whales.
- This newly observed predation strategy sheds light on orcas’ tendency to coordinate and cooperate with each other.
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