Tactics that help killer whales hunt the largest fish on the planet

Killer whales in the Gulf of California appear to have developed special skills to hunt and kill whale sharks, the largest fish on the planet.

Whale sharks, which grow up to 60 feet (18 meters) long and feed in the Gulf of California, have anecdotal evidence that they are hunted by killer whales. Researchers have collected direct evidence of killer whale attacks. They photographed and recorded killer whales hunting whale sharks and used the data to evaluate their hunting tactics in a new study to be published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, the Independent reported on November 26.

Killer whales in southern California. (Photo: KTLA).

The latest study analyzed photos and videos from four predation events that occurred over a six-year period through 2024 in the southern Gulf of California. In these cases, killer whales appeared to be engaging in cooperative tactics to hunt whale sharks. The attacks were characterized by killer whales targeting the whale shark's pelvic region, focusing on its operculum and pelvic fins. The whale shark was temporarily paralyzed and flipped onto its back, allowing the killer whales to access its fat-rich liver.

Killer whales are more likely to target the underbelly because it is the least protected part of the whale shark, with less muscle and cartilage. But there is no photographic evidence of killer whales eating whale shark livers. The team suspects that killer whales in the Gulf of California have developed special skills to hunt whale sharks, and that this knowledge may be widespread in the population.

The images show an adult male killer whale, nicknamed 'Moctezuma' by Mexican researchers , participating in three of four hunting events. Female killer whales from the fourth event had previously been seen with Moctezuma. The discovery sheds light on the intelligence of the ocean's top predators.

Researchers previously recorded the first footage of a killer whale eating a dolphin off the coast of Chile. A few months earlier, they also described a case of a lone killer whale hunting and eating a great white shark off the coast of South Africa.