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Did you know that two killer whales, or orcas, have been catching and feeding on great white sharks along the South African coast since 2017? This is an unusual occurrence that scientists have been trying to understand. They have noticed that these orcas mainly eat the sharks’ liver, which is packed with nutrients. The rest of the shark is left behind.
Scientists have now found out something new about the hunting habits of these orcas. One of them, known as Starboard, was seen killing a young great white shark all on his own in less than two minutes.
Dr Primo Micarelli, a marine biologist at Italy’s Sharks Studies Centre, has said that Starboard’s solitary hunting is worrying. This is because orcas usually hunt in groups and their prey includes a range of large animals.
It is the first time that researchers have seen orcas hunting the world’s largest predator, the great white shark. Starboard’s solitary hunting style seems strange because orcas normally join forces to hunt down their prey. According to Alison Towner, a marine scientist at Rhodes University, previous attacks on great whites by orcas took up to two hours and involved between two and six orcas.
Adding to the mystery is where the great white sharks are going. It is believed that the attacking orcas are scaring off the shark population, but so far, scientists have been unable to determine the location to which the sharks are relocating.
The situation is worrying and Towner has said that further research is required to answer the many questions about the shark-hunting killer whales and their impact on the ecosystem. She also stressed the need for funding to assist in this quest of understanding the situation better.
Vocabulary List:
- occurrence (noun): An incident or event.
- nutrients (noun): Substances that provide nourishment for organisms to function.
- solitary (adjective): Being alone or single.
- predator (noun): An animal that preys on others.
- relocating (verb): Moving to a new place or position.
- ecosystem (noun): A community of organisms interacting with their physical environment.
