Overview
- Published in Frontiers in Marine Science on November 3, the study documents orcas flipping young great white sharks to induce tonic immobility before removing the energy‑dense liver.
- Researchers observed two events—August 2020 and August 2022—that resulted in three juvenile deaths, with whales resurfacing carrying pieces of liver and leaving much of the carcass.
- Dorsal‑fin identification linked the attacks to Moctezuma’s pod, a group previously recorded hunting rays as well as whale and bull sharks.
- The authors describe this as the first repeated targeting of juvenile great whites documented in the Gulf of California and propose that smaller size and inexperience may make juveniles easier prey.
- Hypotheses include climate‑driven shifts, such as El Niño and warming waters, moving shark nurseries into the region; the team emphasizes limited data and plans further monitoring and diet surveys to gauge frequency and ecological impact.