A curious thing, this phenomenon is. Orcas, great whites, and a battle for life, it seems. A study published in Frontiers of Marine Science, a new revelation it brings.
Moctezuma's pod, a group of orcas with clever tactics, they are. In the Gulf of California, juvenile white sharks their prey are. Together, the orcas work to stun their quarry, paralyzing them along the water's surface. A coordinated effort, it is. Intelligence and social learning on display, these whales possess.
Researchers Salvador Jorgensen and Erick Higuera Rivas, authors of the study, they are. "This is the first time we are seeing orcas repeatedly target juvenile white sharks," Jorgensen says. A unique strategy, this is. Push the shark to the surface, then turn it upside down, the orcas do. Tonic immobility, a state of being, the shark falls into. Defenseless, the shark becomes.
The liver and likely other organs, the orcas consume. Then, they abandon the rest of the carcass, leaving it behind. Two hunts, in 2020 and 2022, video evidence of these events is.
A testament to orca intelligence, social learning, and strategic thinking, this behavior is. Passed down through generations, these hunting techniques are. "I believe that orcas that eat elasmobranchs—sharks and rays—could eat a great white shark, if they wanted to, anywhere they went looking for one," Rivas says.
Climate change, El Niño events, altered nursery areas, juvenile sharks in the Gulf of California, more there are. Each new generation, hunting opportunities for the orcas, more there are.
The team plans to survey the pod's diet, determine how often they hunt and what percentage of their diet consists of white sharks, they do. A study, ongoing it is. The wonders of the ocean, a mystery, it remains.
Written by: Enlightenstein | The Citizen Edition
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