The incident occurred off the coast of Mossel Bay, South Africa at around 3pm on June 18, 2023, and was photographed by marine researchers.
Saturday 2nd March 2024 13:17, UK
An orca who killed a great white shark in an “unprecedented” attack has been captured.
The incident occurred off the coast of Mossel Bay, South Africa at around 3pm on June 18, 2023, and was recorded in the African Journal of Marine Science.
Previously reported attacks have always involved two to six whales or killer whales and lasted about two hours.
But this time, it took just two minutes for the lone killer whale to kill the juvenile great white, which weighed around 100kg and was believed to be 2.5m tall.
Dr Alison Towner from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, described the incident as “unprecedented” and “remarkable”.
She wrote in her diary that the team was launched around 2pm that afternoon after the two famous killer whales were sighted on the starboard and port sides.
Scientists have been studying and filming this pair since 2022 as they work together to hunt great white sharks.
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At 3:02 p.m., researchers on the boat saw a great white emerge from the water, then shortly after emerge from the starboard side.
The researchers described how the whale “grabbed the shark’s left pectoral fin and lunged forward with the shark multiple times before finally eviscerating the shark.”
Shortly after, the killer whale reappeared with “a bloody pink piece of liver in its mouth.”
Esther Jacobs from Keep Finn Alive, who witnessed the incident from her boat, told Sky News: “My stomach dropped when I saw the Starboard approaching the great white from behind.
Killer whale attacks are ‘quick and precise’
“It was actually shocking to see the starboard ship lunge forward and grab the shark in its jaws.
“I couldn’t believe how fast it happened. It felt like the event of a lifetime to see what I thought was our top predator get taken down so quickly and easily.”
Researchers say the port and starboard fish likely targeted the shark’s liver, which is rich in energy and nutrients.
A shark’s liver makes up about a third of its body weight and is “packed with nutrients and fats,” Dr Towner said.
“Orcas are so specialized and so efficient at their job that they often take only certain parts of their prey and discard the rest.
“It’s clear that the liver is part of the shark.”
The pair works well together, bending their dorsal fins in opposite directions to surround their prey and protect themselves from attack.
The June 18 incident not only sheds more light on killer whales’ hunting abilities, but also suggests that great white sharks may be at risk of being chased from coastal areas.
