Orcas appear to select the youngest fish, work together to flip them upside down, then target the most vulnerable areas of their bellies.
The whale shark is brought shallower to the surface and one orca is biting near the pelvic area. Orcas can get organized. When hunting for whale sharks — the world’s largest fish — a pod of killer whales appears to target the youngest most vulnerable sharks, ram them to turn them upside done — thus immobilizing them, and will then focus on high value organs like the heart and liver.
Turning the prey upside down essentially immobilizes it, preventing it from swimming away or diving deeper. The tactic also exposes the prey’s most vulnerable area. A whale shark’s undercarriage — or ventral side — has less protection from bone or cartilage than its dorsal side. It also provides easier access to nutrient-rich organs like the heart and liver. However, the scientists were unable to record the orcas eating specific organs.
It’s possible one specific pod developed, then honed, these group-hunting tactics. Other pods might use similar strategies, but so far there is little evidence that this is a common behavior.
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